Celebrates Feast of Don Bosco at DBCR
Don Bosco Cristo Rey High School in Takoma Park, Md., welcomed
Cardinal Joseph Zen, SDB, bishop emeritus of Hong Kong, as celebrant and
preacher for the solemnity of St. John Bosco on January 31. Mass was celebrated
in Our Lady of Sorrows Church adjacent to the school at 10:00 a.m. in the
presence of students, staff, Salesian Cooperators, and friends of the school.
Mass was originally scheduled for 8:00 a.m., but winter
weather caused a 2-hour delay in opening, for the 3d time in the week, and
there was an early dismissal on one other day. Fr. Dieunel Victor’s careful
plans for the celebration of Don Bosco Week were thrown for a loop, badly.
Cardinal Zen had been visiting the U.S. for several days
and earlier in the week was honored by the Victims of Communism Memorial
Foundation with the Truman-Reagan Medal of Freedom on account of his staunch
defense of human rights and freedom of religion in China.
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| During the 1st reading at Mass: Cardinal Zen with Fr. Mike Conway seated to the left and Fr. Joseph Ng to the right. Fr. Martin Yip is seated behind them. |
The Salesian cardinal was accompanied by Fr. Joseph Ng, provincial
superior of the China Province, based in Hong Kong, who was visiting one of his
men, Fr. Martin Yip, a student at The Catholic University of America and a
member of our Washington SDB community. Except for yours truly, the priests of our
local SDB community also concelebrated the Mass. (I was taking pictures and
notes on the homily.)
Basing his homily on the gospel (Matt 18:1-6,10), the
cardinal noted how Don Bosco put into practice Jesus’ exhortation to take care
of the little ones and the poor. He asked why Jesus blesses the poor and
responded that suffering is part of life because all of us are sinners; but
Jesus, the Good Shepherd, takes care of his sheep and thru his own suffering on
the cross leads us to salvation.
Cardinal Zen said that believers live by hope in something
this is already present, a first installment in salvation, because of God’s
love. Life without love is meaningless, he said, and life without suffering is
not possible.
The cardinal noted that the Mass was taking place in Our
Lady of Sorrows Church and linked the Virgin Mary’s suffering, in mystery, to
the joy of salvation that followed her sorrows.
Turning again to St. John Bosco, the cardinal said that he
was always happy in spite of the difficulties of his life because he always
knew that he was on his way to Paradise.
The cardinal, so well known for his defense of the freedom
of the Church, spoke briefly about the recent increase in persecution by the
Communist authorities in China. He mentioned Pope Benedict XVI’s encouragement
to Chinese Catholics to persevere in the Faith even if they have to suffer for
it. Christians, the cardinal said, are always winners if they are on God’s
side, if they are little ones who put their faith in God.
Thru the humble servant of God St. John Bosco, he concluded,
many little ones got the help they needed in life and grew up to help others
also.
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| The cardinal gives a solemn blessing at the end of Mass. |
DBCR’s students and staff very much appreciated Cardinal
Zen’s visit. According to theology teacher Fr. Dennis Hartigan, they were
particularly receptive to his message about the situation of Christians in
China.
In the evening Cardinal Zen, Fr. Ng, and Fr. Yip visited our
new SDB residence in College Park, Md., and took part with the community in
Evening Prayer II of Don Bosco.
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In the SDB chapel at College Park after Evening Prayer: Bro. Bill Hanna, Fr. Mike Conway,
Fr. Martin Yip, Cardinal Joseph Zen, Fr. Joseph Ng, and Fr. Dennis Hartigan
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Then we all went to a local restaurant to enjoy
a fine meal in honor of our Founder and celebrate our common vocation as Don
Bosco’s sons. The cardinal very much enjoyed himself, and both he and the
provincial regaled us with stories from their experiences in China, both good
and not so good.
In the midst of dinner, we were surprised when Salesian
Bishop Vitaliy Krivitskiy, bishop of Kiev, Ukraine, walked in with 2 friends and
recognized the 8 confreres already dining (either because of some lapel pins or
because they heard mention of Don Bosco). Bp. Krivitskiy, who visited Don Bosco
Prep in Ramsey, N.J., on January 12, has
been staying with a Pallottine community in Silver Spring, Md., to study
English, but this was the first time he came upon the local Salesian community.
A great deal of lively conversation ensued before the 3 Ukrainians went off for
their own dinner.
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At dinner: Bishop Vitaliy Krivitsky (standing) with Fr. Joseph Ng,
Cardinal Zen, and Fr. Dieunel Victor. Photo by Fr. Mike Conway.
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