First of Many Salesian Martyrs

Feb. 25, 1930: 1st of Many Salesian Martyrs

90th Anniversary of the Martyrdom of Sts. Louis Versiglia and Callistus Caravario

 (ANS – Rome – February 24, 2020) – In one of his dreams Don Bosco saw two large chalices rise to Heaven, chalices with which his children would water the Salesian mission in the Orient: one was full of sweat, the other of blood. A few decades later, Fr. Louis Versiglia wrote from China to another Salesian who had given him a chalice: “May the Lord ensure that I return the chalice that has been offered to our Pious Society. May it overflow, if not with my blood, with at least my sweat!”

Louis Versiglia was born in Oliva Gessi (Pavia) on June 5, 1873. At the age of twelve, he entered the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales at Valdocco (Turin), where he met Don Bosco. After ordination in 1895, he was master of novices at Genzano (Rome), then was chosen in 1906 by Fr. Michael Rua to lead the first Salesian missionary expedition to China. In 1918, the Salesians were given the mission of Shiu Chow in southern China. Soon after, Fr. Versiglia was appointed vicar apostolic, and on January 9, 1921, he was ordained bishop. He was a true shepherd, entirely devoted to his flock. He gave the vicariate a solid structure with a seminary, houses of formation, and various residences and shelters for the elderly and needy. He looked after the formation of catechists with true conviction.

Callistus Caravario was born in Cuorgné (Turin) on June 8, 1903, and was a student at the Valdocco oratory. In 1924, still a cleric, he left for China as a missionary. He was sent to Macao, and then for two years to the island of Timor in the East Indies. He edified everyone with his goodness and his apostolic zeal. On May 18, 1929, Bp. Versiglia ordained him a priest in China.

On February 25, 1930, the two missionaries were travelling by boat for a pastoral visit to Fr. Caravario’s mission at Linchow when a gang of Communist pirates intercepted them. They boarded the vessel and, finding three young women catechists, wanted to take them away with them. The two missionaries interposed and were attacked and tied up, while the pirates ransacked their possessions. One of the bandits, snatching crucifixes from a catechist, shouted: “Why do you love these crosses? We hate them with all our souls!” The young women, who were left aboard after all, saw the missionaries hear each other’s confession before being shot in the woods onshore. Thus the two chalices dreamed by Don Bosco were raised to Heaven!

St. John Paul II beatified them on May 15, 1983, and canonized them on October 1, 2000. On the occasion of the beatification, the Pontiff said: “The blood of the two blesseds is at the foundations of the Chinese Church, just as the blood of Peter is at the foundations of the Church of Rome.”

Because of this 90th anniversary, the provincial of the China Province, Fr. Joseph Ng, based in Hong Kong, is promoting a series of commemorative events from February 25 to November 13. He issued a message in which he said: “I hope that through the various activities that we are organizing this year we will know how to learn the spirit of martyrdom from these two saints.... Every Christian participates in a ‘white martyrdom’ [distinguished from blood martyrdom] if he puts the Gospel into practice and carries his own cross. Let’s model ourselves on the example of Sts. Louis Versiglia and Callistus Caravario!”

The saints' feastday is February 25.

They were the 1st of many martyrs, as this post's title indicates.  95 Salesians (including FMAs and lay colleagues) were martyred during the Spanish Civil War and have been beatified.  6 Polish victims of the Nazis also have been beatified, and others are under study, including most of the clergy assigned to Karol Wojtyla's parish in Krakow.  2 martyrs under the Communist persecutions in Eastern Europe have been beatified.  Others suffered imprisonment.  In more recent time, Salesians have been killed in mission lands including Brazil and Burkina Faso for reasons related to the faith and its practice.  The bloody chalice that Don Bosco foresaw is flowing over.