2024年12月18日:慈幼會165周年紀念

【慈幼通訊社 ─ 2024 年12月18 日羅馬慈幼總部訊】 ─ 今天2024年12月18日,我們慶祝慈幼會成立165周年。1859年12月18日的晚上,在聖方濟沙雷氏小堂,鮑思高神父的房間裡,當時的一些人聚集在一起,「唯一的目的是保存和促進真正愛德的精神,推動關顧被忽視、處於危險境地青年的慶禮院工作」,這是Vittorio Alasonatti神父在會議紀錄中所寫的。

他們除了鮑思高神父外,還有17位青年,共同奠定了日後成立的「聖方濟·沙雷氏善會」的基礎。

會議紀錄中接著寫道:「這聚集一起的小組然後便決定成立一個社團或修會,為彰顯天主的光榮和靈魂的得救,特別是那些最需要指導和教育的人,同時為成員提供互助,幫助他們成聖自己。」

鮑思高神父曾多次嘗試創立一個修會,以確保他慶禮院的工作得以維持。儘管他的計劃未能立即實現,但他從未放棄這一想法。

事實上,他明白自己為年輕人所做的一切善行,因外界的不良影響而面臨失敗的風險。因此,他採取了多項措施來為自己的工作提供規劃。他決定建立自己的學徒工房,第一批工房於1853年開設。到1856年,已經有150名寄宿學生、4個工房、一個印刷廠、4個拉丁語課程和10位神父,還有500名日間學生。

在1860年2月2日修會成立後,第一位輔理修士被接納進入這個修會,這是鮑思高神父的另一個好的直覺。他希望吸引許多不同背景和特質的人參與為青年服務的工作。

在1864年7月23日,聖座頒發了一道諭令,嘉許了慈幼會的成立和精神。隨後,在1869年3月1日,獲得最終的批准,最後在1874年4月3日,聖座批准慈幼會會憲。

自那時起,慈幼會持續增長並擴展到世界各大洲,擁有明確的教育法,專注於最弱勢的兒童和青年,以及無界限的傳教精神。到1863年,已經有39位慈幼會會士,而在鮑思高神父去世時,這個數字達到768名。目前,慈幼大家庭在五大洲的135個國家擁有超過14,000名會士。

18 December 2024: 165th anniversary of the Salesian Congregation

(ANS – RomeRMG, 18 December 2024) – Today, 18 December 2024, marks the 165th anniversary of the Salesian Congregation. On the evening of 18 December1859, at the Oratory of St Francis de Sales, in Don Bosco’s room, in fact, some of those living there gathered “with the sole purpose of preserving and promoting the spirit of true charity needed for the work of the Oratories on behalf of neglected young people at risk”; so wrote Fr Vittorio Alasonatti, in the minutes of that meeting.

They were 17 young people in addition to Don Bosco, and together they laid the foundations of what was established as the “Pious Society of Saint Francis de Sales”.

The same minutes then read: “The Gathered group then decided to form a society or congregation with the aim of promoting the glory of God and the salvation of souls, especially of those most in need of instruction and education, while providing the members with mutual help toward their own sanctification.”

Don Bosco had made several attempts to found a Society to ensure the continuity of his oratory work, which was growing day by day. Although his project did not materialise immediately, he never gave up on this idea.

In fact, he had realised that all the good he did for his boys was at risk of being lost due to bad influences from outside. This is why he took many steps to give structure to his work. He decided to build his own apprenticeship workshops and the first two were opened in 1853. By 1856, there were already 150 resident students, 4 workshops, a printing press, 4 Latin classes and 10 priests. And there were were 500 day students.

After the foundation, on 2 February, 1860, the first coadjutor brother was accepted into the Congregation, another happy intuition of Don Bosco, who wanted to involve a large number of people with various attitudes and backgrounds in the service of his young people.

On 23 July 1864, the “Decretum Laudis of the Society” arrived from the Holy See. Later, on 1 March 1869, the final approval came and, finally, on 3 April 1874, the approval of the Constitutions by the Holy See.

Since then it has continued to grow and spread throughout the world’s continents with a clear educational charism directed to the most disadvantaged children and young people and a missionary evangelising spirit without geographical limits. In 1863 there were already 39 Salesians and, at Don Bosco’s death, there were 768. Today the Salesian Congregation has over 14,000 members in over 135 countries on five continents.