austraLasia 748
SALESIAN MARTYRS: "COETERA TOLLE: MY LIFE ALSO"
Preparing for November 13th with and in honour of Fr. Pasquale Liberatore SDB
ROME: 1st November -- ANS yesterday announced the sudden death of Fr. Pasquale Liberatore, Salesian Procurator for Saintly Causes for the past 11 years. This writer had been helping Fr. Liberatore in a range of matters associated with Salesian hagiography (= matters to do with saints and holiness) over recent days, days leading up to celebations of Salesian holiness....Rua, Versiglia & Caravario, Rinaldi. So, in honour of him and noting some scribbled lines of his as he took each Salesian candidate for the altars and compared them with a line from Don Bosco, here are some thoughts on how he might have wanted us to prepare for the Feast of Sts. Louis Versiglia and Callistus Caravario on November 13th. All references are available online.
A basic document is a set of talks over 4 days which he prepared for an occasion in West Haverstraw in 1999. The document makes no direct reference to the two Chinese martyrs but is a masterpiece, one of the few items of his to be found in English, translated for the occasion. He recommends tackling Salesian holiness from its theological and pedagogical contribution to hagiography. He would suggest considering our two saints from aspects geographical (China), historical (1857-2000+), nature of the message (confessors/martyrs), traits of our spirituality (oblation), and witness in areas felt particularly today (martyrs of 20th Century). The particular set of talks (in zipped form if you wish to download) was directed at Salesian pedagogical understanding - presenting young adult Salesian saints to young adults today. It will be a special source of inspiration for next year's Strenna of the Rector Major. If the above hyperlink does not work, go to www.bosconet.aust.com and click on the appropriate line in Bosconet Special Services.
Fr. Liberatore had also collected a wide range of pictures and written various short biographies of all Salesian holy people. You will find one particularly well-drawn and useful series of vignettes on the hyperlinked page - the story will enable you (or a class of students) to match the pictures with parts of the story. Some hyperlinked hints are already offered. If the primary hyperlink does not work go to www.bosconet.aust.com/holiness.htm
There are some other guidelines for preparation which are not Fr. Liberatore's but the result of simple 'surfing' around. They are offered here for your use:
* In 1990 a Salesian Brother, Bro. Octavius Fantini, died in China. He was 99, had been in China 78 years and had Fr. Versiglia as his Rector! Read up on the story of his life.
* It helps to have the wider picture on the Chinese Martyrs, of which V-C were part.
* Osservatore Romano on 4th October 2000 ran in article in preparation for the Canonization. (When you arrive at the site, run a search on 'Chinese Believers'.
* There is of course, ASC 319 back in 1988 when Fr. Vigano wrote a letter called 'School for Holiness'. All Fr. Vigano's letters are available online. A brief extract and commentary can be found also.
* There is more if you are still looking for more! Try the Salesian Web Portal, by going to 'saints', the Australian Salesian Bulletin, the Filipino Salesian Bulletin.
One final thought. None of the above contain suggestions for liturgy, lectio divina and so forth. Do you have something you could share?
