【慈幼通訊社 ─ 2023 年11月 7 日香港訊】 ─ 2023年11月6日是痲瘋病者的天使、貧窮及被遺棄孩童的慈父，敬愛的胡子義神父逝世六周年的日子。在他長年居住及工作的香港及澳門，都為他的永遠的安息，舉行紀念追思感恩祭。
2023年11月2日，澳門慈幼學校中華會省母院，舉行胡子義神父追思彌撒，並以慈幼家庭為已亡兄弟姊妹舉行的傳統形式進行。由中華會省省會長吳志源神父所寫的中文版悼文，已派送到各處。省會長選擇在悼文中，向讀者展示胡子義神父在2001年，為聽從時任省會長韓大輝神父的命令所寫的「我的生命摘要」。目前，悼文只有中文版本。希望英文及意大版本，能在不久的將來，送到世界各地的慈幼會會省。
香港聖安多尼堂在同日下午6時舉行彌撒追悼胡子義神父。當日派送近100份悼文。胡子義神父由1952至1962年，任這堂區主任司鐸達十年。堂區中八九十歲的教友，對他仍然印象深刻。當天晚上八時，剛好為於2023年10月30日逝世，曾與胡子義神父一同於聖類斯學校服務三年(1959至1962年)，享年95歲的李海龍神父，舉行守靈彌撒。就在三個月前的7月23日，當問及李神父對胡神父的感想時，年老的李神父回答三句話：「低調、聖者、好人！」
同樣，可能是天主的意思，於2023年11月18日星期六，在毗鄰的聖類斯學校小堂，將會為胡子義神父及所有曾在該校服務的慈幼會會士舉行追思彌撒。胡子義神父在聖類斯學校作宗教教育主任時(1959至1962年)，他同時任聖安多尼堂主任司鐸。在他擔任照顧痲瘋病者職務之前的十年，他承擔起兩份全職工作！
當天的聖安多尼堂6時彌撒（常年期第三十一周星期一），當日的福音彷彿是為胡子義神父度身訂造的。福音中耶穌說：「但你幾時設筵，要請貧窮的、殘廢的、瘸腿的、瞎眼的人。如此，你有福了，因為他們沒有可報答你的；但在義人復活的時候，你必能得到賞報。」（路14:13-14）縱觀胡子義神父的一生，他真正把敬愛耶穌的這些話生活出來，不將之視為純粹的比喻或誇張手法。因此，胡子義神父的榜樣，是一個活生生的召叫，要我們實踐耶穌這些富挑戰性的說話。
Salesian Macau and Salesian Hong Kong Remember Fr. Gaetano Nicosia on the 6th Anniversary of His Death
(ANS – Hong Kong, China, 07 November 2023) – 6 November 2023 was the 6th anniversary of the death of revered and dear Fr. Gaetano Nicosia SDB, the Angel of Hansenians and the Father of Poor and Abandoned Children. In Hong Kong and Macau, the places where he lived and worked the longest, Masses were celebrated to pray for his eternal rest and make fond memories of him.
Fr. Gaetano Nicosia was remembered in CIN’s Mother House, Instituto Salesiano Macau, on 2 November 2023, in the context of the traditional Requiem Mass for all deceased brothers and sisters of the Salesian Family. Dozens of copies of the Chinese version of his Obituary Letter, written by CIN Provincial Fr. Joseph Ng Chi Yuen, were distributed. As the core of this Obituary Letter, Fr. Provincial chose to present to all his readers the “Brief Notes on My Life”, written in the year 2001 by Fr. Gaetano Nicosia in obedience to the order given him by the then CIN Provincial Fr. Savio Hon Tai Fai. At present, there is only the Chinese version of the Obituary Letter. Hopefully, however, the English and Italian versions will soon be distributed to all Provinces in the Salesian world.
The same thing occurred on 6 November 2023, in St. Anthony’s Church, Hong Kong, during the 6 p.m. evening daily Mass. Also here, almost 100 copies of the Obituary Letter were distributed. Don Gaetano Nicosia had served as Parish Vicar in this Church for ten years from 1952 to 1962. Parishioners in their eighties and nineties still remember him. By coincidence, at 8 pm in the same St. Anthony’s Church, the Vigil Requiem Mass was celebrated for 95-year-old Fr Joseph Lee Hei Lung SDB, who died on 30 October 2023 and who had worked for three years (1959-1962) in St Louis School together with Fr Gaetano Nicosia. Just about three months ago, on 23 July 2023, when asked what he thought of Fr. Gaetano Nicosia, old Fr. Joseph Lee replied with three words: “Low key, holy man, good stuff!”
Similarly, God willing, on Saturday, 18 November 2023, there will be a Requiem Mass in the chapel of the neighboring St Louis School in memory of Fr. Gaetano Nicosia and of all Salesians who served there. St Louis School was where (in the same years 1952-1962) Fr Gaetano Nicosia had worked as a Catechist while at the same time being the Vicar of St Anthony’s. For ten years, before he undertook the care of hansenians, he was committed to double full-time work!
During the 6 p.m. Mass in St. Anthony’s, the Gospel of the Mass of the day (Monday of the 31st Week of the Year), also by happy coincidence, seemed to be specially tailored to make the memory of Fr. Gaetano Nicosia. In this Gospel, Jesus says: “When you have a party, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; that they cannot pay you back means that you are fortunate because repayment will be made to you when the virtuous rise again” (Luke 14:13-14) Throughout his life Fr. Gaetano Nicosia appears to have taken these words of his beloved Jesus very literally. He did not think they were just a metaphor or a hyperbole. In this respect, the example of Fr. Gaetano Nicosia is a standing call for us to put these challenging words of Jesus into practice.