The ceremony was attended by Fr Domingos Leong, CIN Provincial, and Sr Kenny Luk, Provincial of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, China, together with over 300 participants, including Salesians from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, representatives of the Salesian Family groups in Macao, missionary partners and young people. Together they attended the opening of the 120th anniversary celebration series.
The event was held in two parts. It began with an address by Fr Domingos Leong, who recalled how, inspired by Don Bosco's ‘Dream of China’, Louis Versiglia and the first group of missionaries in China set sail from Europe and arrived in Macao on 13 February 1906, marking the beginning of the Salesian mission in China. Through education and evangelisation, they served poor and abandoned young people, planting the seeds of Christ's love and Don Bosco's spirit deep within Chinese society.
The Superior of the CIN Province then encouraged all members of the Salesian Family to continue caring for and accompanying young people in a rapidly changing world, remaining faithful to the ‘Education of Love’ which characterises the Salesian mission, and rekindling their zeal for evangelisation. The ceremony continued with the Eucharistic Celebration for All Saints' Day, celebrated by the Salesians of the CIN Province.
This kick-off event officially marked the beginning of the 120th Anniversary celebrations of the Salesians’ presence in China. The culmination of the celebration will take place on February 13, 2026, with the solemn enshrinement of two sacred relics — the relics of St. John Bosco and the chalice of St. Luigi Versiglia, Bishop — which will be permanently housed at the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception within the Salesian School (Motherhouse).
The celebrations will finally conclude on 24 May 2027, feast of Mary Help of Christians, with a large Marian procession. During this period, various programmes, formation sessions and thematic activities will be organised to help young Salesians, collaborators, family members and all the citizens of Macao to better understand the missionary beginnings of the Salesians in China since 1906 and to renew their commitment to their pastoral mission of educating the young and evangelising.
