The First Salesian House in China

The First Salesian House in China

(ANS – Macao – April 15, 2026) – The longest-running mission of the Salesians of Portugal, which marked the beginning of Don Bosco’s work in China, was the work in Macao. Portuguese Salesians were present in Macao for 92 years: beginning on February 13, 1906, with an interruption between 1910 and 1912, it ended only on December 31, 1999, when the territory was returned to China. On the 150th anniversary of the expedition that marked the expansion of the Salesian presence into the missions, the Salesians of Portugal recall their first missionary outposts and their first missionaries.

Despite the jurisdiction of the Portugal as the colonial ruler, the first Salesians in the territory were Italian. The first director of the Immaculate Conception Orphanage – today the Salesian Institute, still in operation – was St. Louis Versiglia (1873–1930). It was not until 1912 that the first Portuguese Salesian, Fr. José da Silva Lucas, arrived in Macao, where he remained until 1927, having served as director of the orphanage. After him, many Portuguese Salesians passed thru over the years.

From the modest initial premises and its role as an orphanage, it went on to include a primary school, workshops, teaching in Portuguese, English, and Chinese, and new buildings equipped with modern facilities and machinery. In 1950, Colegio Dom Bosco opened for Portuguese students. Over the years, both institutions adapted their curricula and facilities to the evolving education system. Both the Salesian Institute and Colegio Dom Bosco were honored by the Macao Government with the Medal of Cultural Merit. Colegio Dom Bosco was the only one to remain under the jurisdiction of the Portuguese Province until 1999.

Upon the handover of the territory to China, the works in Macao were integrated into the Salesian Province of China, based in Hong Kong. The Portuguese section of the school was closed. In 2000, following the departure of the Portuguese Salesians, a further restructuring took place: Dom Bosco College merged with Yuet-Wah College (founded by Chinese and under the jurisdiction of the Hong Kong Province), with the former focusing on primary education and the latter on secondary education.

Currently, Macao is celebrating the jubilee year marking the 450th anniversary of the diocese (1576–2026). The Salesian Congregation has just commemorated the 120th anniversary of its arrival in the East. The Salesians are currently present in China with 5 establishments in Hong Kong and 2 in Macao: the Salesian Institute and Colegio Dom Bosco/Yuet Wah College. They also have 3 works in Taiwan. Today, in the Macao Special Administrative Region, 14 Salesians are working: 10 priests, 2 deacons, and 2 coadjutor brothers. The Salesian Institute, which has existed for over a century, and Dom Bosco College/Yuet Wah College are 2 of the largest schools in the territory.