Taiwan – The Salesian charism unites bishops and Sons of Don Bosco

19 November 2020
Taiwan – The Salesian charism unites bishops and Sons of Don Bosco

(ANS – Taipei) – On the evening of 15 November 2020, the Salesian Community of “St. John Bosco Parish” in Taipei was happy to experience a doubly episcopal event: during supper, Salesian Cooperator and Salesian Past Pupil Taipei Archbishop Thomas Chung An Zu, on a friendly visit to the Community, announced that Pope Francis appointed 54-year-old Fr John Lee, also a Don Bosco past pupil of the Salesian Technical School in Tainan, as new Bishop of Tainan. “All we Salesians were overjoyed to hear the news and, together with Archbishop Thomas, immediately toasted to the health of this new successor of the Apostles,” said Fr Lanfranco M. Fedrigotti, SDB.

Bishop-elect John Lee was a student in the car-repair department of the Salesian school in Tainan in 1981-1984. During his third year, his assistant was first-year practical-trainee Sc. Joseph Ng Chi Yuen, the present CIN Provincial. For his priestly ordination, Fr John Lee chose the school hall of the Salesian Technical School, where he was ordained with two companions on 1 January 1993. His priestly ordination took place just one day before the episcopal consecration of Bishop Bosco Lin as Auxiliary Bishop of Kaohsiung (2 January 1993). Bishop-elect John Lee is now the successor of Bishop Bosco Lin. In fact, Bishop Bosco Lin was appointed Bishop of Tainan on January 24, 2004, and installed as Bishop of Tainan on 21 March 2004.

77-year old Bishop Bosco (so named at his baptism by the German missionary Fr Ferdinand Pauli OP, long before the Salesians arrived in Taiwan!) can now finally retire, after 26 years of dedicated apostolic service. As a Salesian Cooperator (like Archbishop Thomas of Taipei), Bishop Bosco has been particularly close to the Salesians in Tainan.

Bishop Bosco’s successor, Bishop-elect Fr John Lee, a good singer and guitar player, for many years has been the youth ministry and vocation pastoral animator of the Tainan Diocese, often working closely with the SDB of Salesian Technical School.

During the Good Night Talk after the sung First Vespers of Sunday, Archbishop Thomas Chung announced to the community that, with the consent of the CIN Provincial, he had appointed our Vice-Rector Parish Pastor Fr Edgar Andrew Carbon as Spiritual Director of the Archdiocese Youth Office.

In total, there are currently five bishops in Taiwan who are part of the Salesian Family: in addition to the bishop emeritus of Tainan, Msgr. Bosco Lin Chi-nan (Salesian Cooperator), to the newly appointed bishop of Tainan, Fr John Lee Juo-Wang (past pupil), and to the archbishop of Taipei, Msgr. Thomas Chung An Zu (past pupil and Salesian Cooperator), Msgr. Joseph Ti-Kang (Salesian Cooperator), 92-year-old archbishop emeritus of Taiwan, and the archbishop of Kaohsiung, Peter Liu Cheng-chung.

Source: AustraLasia 

InfoANS

ANS - “Agenzia iNfo Salesiana” is a on-line almost daily publication, the communication agency of the Salesian Congregation enrolled in the Press Register of the Tibunal of Rome as n 153/2007.

This site also uses third-party cookies to improve user experience and for statistical purposes. By scrolling through this page or by clicking on any of its elements, you consent to the use of cookies. To learn more or to opt out, click "Further Information".

Further Information