On Saturday morning, 12 November 2022, the Hong Kong Salesians gathered in the Salesian Missionary House Shau Kei Wan, the House that holds the youngest and the oldest Salesians in the Province. That day was also the Annual Brother's Day of the Province. To welcome the Salesians from other Houses, besides Provincial Fr. Joseph Ng Chi Yuen, there was the new Bishop of Hong Kong, His Excellency Msgr. Stephen Chow S.J. Actually, it was a mutual welcome. This was the first time that Msgr. Stephen, ordained Bishop of Hong Kong last year on 4 December 2021, met the Salesians as a group. The day began with a one-hour-and-a-half dialogue with Bishop Stephen. The Bishop felt very much at home (the Rector of Salesian Missionary House, Vice-Provincial Fr. Domingos Leong Teng Kok, was his classmate during the study of theology!) and shared his hope that the Salesians would help him care for young Catholics who are no longer practicing their faith.

During the Mass of Thanksgiving for the Canonization of St. Artemide Zatti, Bishop Stephen showed himself very well acquainted with the Brother Saint: "The vocation of a religious Brother is really special, and so, precious. I am happy that both Jesuits and Salesians are promoting Brothers' vocations. The Brothers are a lesson to us religious priests and bishops: they teach us that the essential thing is to be good religious, good consecrated persons. St. Artemide, graced by God with healing, became a graceful healer. He was like the 10th leper healed by Jesus and appreciated by Jesus for his praising God with gratitude. Br. Artemide cured and even healed the sick with the joy of his gratitude! Joy implies connectedness. Our religious life is all about being connected: being loved by God, being consecrated by God, and being sent by God. St. Artemide Zatti experienced all this. This experience transformed his life into joy. What experience is transforming us? Let us reflect. God bless! And let us work together!"

Before the final blessing at Mass, Bishop Stephen addressed the few Hong Kong young people present directly: "Young people, be full of hope, the hope given us by the Lord Jesus!" Ubi Missa, ibi mensa. After Mass, Bishop Stephen, a vegetarian, shared our lunch, brightened up by the action songs of young Salesians in honour of St. Artemide Zatti.

On Saturday afternoon, it was the Macau Salesians who celebrated the newly canonized Saint, in conjunction with the Golden Jubilee of Ordination of veteran Irish missionary Fr. Aidan Conroy SDB. Macau lies on the West side of the mouth of the Pearl River (China's 3rd longest river, 2400 km long), about 60 km from Hong Kong, that lies on the East of the 40-km-wide Pearl River estuary. The Macau celebration included not only the Salesians in Macau, but also members of the Salesian Youth Movement and the Salesian Family, about 300 people in all. The first part of the celebration was activated by the 180 young people, who deepened their knowledge of the new Saint by means of interactive exhibitions on and games geared toward the life of St. Artemide Zatti. The second part saw more than 100 members of the Macau Salesian Family join the Opus Dei Macau Bishop Msgr. Stephen Lee Bun Sang in the Mass of Thanksgiving for the holiness of Br. Artemide Zatti and for the 50 years of priesthood of Fr. Aidan Conroy.

Sunday 13 November was the turn of the Taipei Salesian Family to celebrate the new Saint. The special 10 o'clock bilingual Mass of St. John Bosco Parish was presided over by Taipei Archbishop Emeritus John Baptist Hung Shan Chuan S.V.D. with full participation by the parish community. As for the Salesian Family in Tainan (300 km South of Taipei), on the afternoon of the same Sunday, in the Mary Help Parish church, the Thanksgiving Mass was concelebrated by Apostolic Administrator Bishop John Bosco Lin Chi Nan (named John Bosco at his Baptism by an old German Dominican missionary, well before the Salesians entered Taiwan!) and Salesian past-pupil Bishop Lee Jo Wang. With them were Salesian confreres, parishioners, and members of the Salesian Family. Before and after this Sunday, the 760-strong youth body of the Salesian Technical School, just across the road from Mary Help Church, had the occasion to learn about the new Saint through digital and non-digital activities.

Moreover, the Chinese Salesian Bulletin, in the short space of 6 months, has already dedicated three issues to Br. Artemide Zatti with substantial articles and a front-page image of the Saint.

“May the Canonization of St. Artemide Zatti make us all ardent imitators of Br. Artemide's holiness! Faxit Deus!,” Fr Lanfranco Fedrigotti, Salesian missionary in CIN Province, finally states.

Tweet