By Ms Phyllis Tang
Salesian Youth Ministry Coordinator
Hong Kong, 16 February 2022 -- The Rector Major Fr Ángel Fernández Artime announced last year that 2022 will be "the 400th anniversary of the death of St Francis de Sales, Patron Saint of the Salesian Family". The China Province chose to launch the "Commemoration of the 400th Anniversary of the Death of St. Francis de Sales" on 13 February 2022. This is a special date for the Chinese Province, because the first batch of Salesians led by St Louis Versiglia landed in Macau via Hong Kong in 1906 on this date.
The launching ceremony was held in the form of an online gathering, with more than 200 participants from various Salesian Family Communities, including Salesian Society, FMA, Sisters Announcers of the Lord, Association of Salesian Cooperators, Salesian Past Pupils Association, colleges and parishes.
Fr Domingos Leong, Provincial Vicar of the China Province and the Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the "Commemorating the 400th Anniversary of the Death of St Francis de Sales", first of all introduced the relationship between St Francis de Sales and the Salesian Society. Local Chinese addressed the Salesians as the Society of Sales (saat3 lak6 zoek3 wui2), bu tafter twenty years they have changed it to the name 慈幼會 (ci4 jau3 wui2) which is taken from the Chinese classics, Works of Mencius, Book VI Kaou Tsze. It means caring of the young which perfectly represents the spirit of St Francis de Sales, pure love for the little ones. Although this name change made the Salesians more local, it also made it easy for the Salesian Family members to forget the relationship between the Salesians and St Francis de Sales. Don Bosco always admired St Francis de Sales and by the end of the Retreat before his priestly ordination, Don Bosco wrote in his notebook as a pledge to keep a few resolutions, and one of them is “The charity and gentleness of St. Francis de Sales are to be my guide.”
Although the motto of Don Bosco, “Give me souls! Take away the rest!” never appears in the voluminous writings of St Francis de Sales, it always appeared in his daily life. St Francis de Sales was the Bishop of Geneva, but because of the Calvinist control of Geneva at that time, they determined to keep the Catholic Bishop out of his diocese. Faced with such situation, St Francis de Sales made it his diocesan policy to continue demanding the right to care for the people of the diocese (Give me souls!) while renouncing any demand on diocesan property (Take the rest!). These virtues of St Francis de Sales deeply moved Don Bosco, who made him feel that " Give me souls! Take away the rest! " is so specific and practical. This is not only a pious desire, but also a determination to live out the poverty of the Gospel and to find the soul.
In the second half of the meeting, each group of the Salesian Family shared how they will promote and deepen the understanding of St Francis de Sales and the Salesian charism.
The Salesians of Don Bosco have two objectives for this commemoration: 1. Helping the members of the Salesian Family to understand the spirituality of St Francis de Sales from the perspective of Don Bosco, especially holiness for all the people; 2. Promoting and translating the literary work of St Francis the Sales and those books related to him. One of the books locally produced to be highly recommended is “Is DON BOSCO a True SALESian?: Salesian Spirituality in 7 Words” which introduces the seven sanctification methods of St Francis de Sales.
After the sharing, Fr Joseph Ng, the Provincial of China Province, gave a blessing and exhortation to the participants. Fr Joseph reminded everyone that the congregation took this opportunity to celebrate and to deepen the knowledge and spirituality of the members of the Salesian Family of St Francis de Sales. Don Bosco had a special love for St Francis de Sales, and admired his love for God and his gentleness and kindness towards people. He also asked the Salesian family members to learn this kindness and tolerance in their youth pastoral work.
He also said that people would say Don Bosco has introduced holiness in ordinary life and led young people to be sanctified in their lives, while Don Bosco learned this way of sanctification from St. Francis de Sales. St. Francis de Sales once said that people of different occupations or classes should practice zealous devotion in different ways according to their own abilities, this is spirit of prayer in life, become the corner stone of the relationship of “work and pray” mentioned by Don Bosco. The Strenna this year, “Do all through love, nothing through constraint”, is the thought of St Francis de Sales. Fr Joseph invited us to love the Lord, love your neighbour and fulfil the will of God in daily life as did the Patron Saint St Francis de Sales. As long as we follow the will of God in everything, life will be fulfilling.
Let us pray to our God graciously grant the member of the Salesian Family following St Francis de Sales' example, we may always work for the salvation of souls, become all things to all, and display the gentleness of his charity in the service of our neighbour.
