By Asp. Bosco Chan
To make an account of the aspirantate in Hong Kong, we must begin with gratitude to the pure grace freely endowed to the Salesian community in Aberdeen Technical School. This community now consists of three priests and one brother, and together with the Provincial Delegate for Youth Ministry, they collectively give the experience of the aspirantate. Though the number is small, compared to housing as many as five aspirants at the moment (plus taking care of one junior aspirant living with his family), the confreres forming an accompaniment team collaborate and maintain a weekly programme for the aspirants.
As in the case of “comunità proposta” described by the Congregation (cf. Prot. 11/0377, V), this community is itself already an apostolic Salesian community, chiefly serving a boarding section of the school (120 boarders who are students of the school) and a Don Bosco Youth Centre during school hours and after school. In an ordinary week, the five aspirants are working full-time as Dormitory Assistants, commencing their work every Sunday from 7pm to 11pm, between Monday and Thursday from 3:30pm to 11:00pm. Their duties range from leading games to managing the youth centre after school, from giving accompaniment and assistance to the boarding youths in dinner as well as revision, to making preparations and reviews on initiatives of the boarding section. A recent renovation and assistance of the Don Bosco Youth Centre have also been initiated by the aspirants. Another highlight of their weekly duties is the five aspirants’ initiative in opening catechism classes, preparing feast day celebrations for boarders, and leading different devotions to the Eucharist and saints. The entire work experience is rewarding the candidates with broad exposure to youth service, evangelisation, and first-hand material for vocational discernment.
As regards the community prayer life, the five aspirants are leading some of the prayers of the daily office, and every day they contribute in daily mass as lector, reader, choir, sacristan and organist. On Fridays, the aspirants lead the rosary after dinner, and as the community has recently started Friday penance by keeping a holy hour before the Blessed Sacrament, the aspirants prepare for the adoration.
On a weekly basis, the three senior aspirants have a one-hour conference on Thursday mornings, given by Fr. Domingos Leong on Memoirs of the Oratory. On Friday nights, after saying the rosary, all six aspirants have a 90-minute conference, given by Fr. Carlos Cheung (Aspirant Assistant) on reflections of Memoirs of the Oratory and Catechism of the Catholic Church based on YOUCAT. On Saturday mornings, all six aspirants have a sharing session with rector Fr. Simon Lam, usually on daily gospel reflections and spiritual life. The input given through these gatherings enriches the aspirants with Salesianity, knowledge on catechism, and spiritual reflections.
Every month, aspirants participate in an overnight vocation camp, Friday through Saturday, organised by the Provincial Vocation Office for youths who search for their vocation and are interested to know about vocation in general, or more specifically the Salesians and their life. All six aspirants accompany the participants in sharing and discovering more about their lives in true companionship. Aspirants lead in games and prayers, and are highly engaged in the sharing sessions.
On Saturdays, aspirants are asked to have reunion with family, the love of which sustains and supports their vocations. On Sundays, aspirants are committed to various kinds of apostolic work, in parish or communities, that aids their search of vocation and opens their heart to Jesus in the crowd. As each week unfolds again, the aspirantate in Aberdeen continues to provide formation to these six young men, and interest more ones to come and see.
We thank Jesus for providing for our aspirantate in Aberdeen Technical School, where we enter into adventures of our vocation. We listen to the Father by deepening our relationship with Jesus, e.g. in daily meditation, daily Eucharist and Eucharistic adoration. We follow the footsteps of Don Bosco through spiritual reading and committing ourselves more and more to saving souls of the young. Here in Aberdeen, the boarders are easily touched by the love of God through our accompaniment and care, our catechesis and praying with them together. The youths see Jesus in our community, and they want to come closer to Him and belong to Him. This touches our hearts, and encourages us to lead the life of Don Bosco, whose heart was once touched by the Lord. Even though we sometimes face challenges and hardship in our imperfections, we find consolations and new strengths as we frequent the Sacraments, deepen our prayerful life and find support in confreres. By way of instructions and recommendations, we also acquire experiences, skills, formation and practicals of the preventive system, proper to our ages and necessary in discerning our possible Salesian vocations. The Spirit of God has brought us here, and we shall follow Him wherever He brings us.
