【慈幼通訊社
─
2013
年
09
月
12
日黎巴嫩哈里薩訊】
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剛過去的星期一，九月九日，鮑思高神父聖髑貝魯特朝聖之旅圓滿結束。在El
Houssoun的慈幼會團體院長Karmi
Samaan神父表示：「再沒有比這更圓滿的總結。正值敘利亞深陷危機之際，鮑思高神父在九月一日，以和平與希望朝聖者的身份，蒞臨當地，帶給我們一線曙光。」
在 Cedars 的土地上，敘利亞難民數目日增，適逢聖髑來臨，為當地人民帶來喘息的機會。很多鮑思高之友小組不顧危險，從敘利亞遠道而來，敬禮聖髑。
聖髑朝聖之旅，喚起當地傳媒的重大關注。當地舉行了多場公開敬禮，尤其在黎巴嫩山一些山區村莊，以及北部地區舉行的，更為矚目。禮儀中還舉行撒米及撒玫瑰花瓣禮，參與者都手持燈籠及火炬。此外還有莊嚴的禮儀，例如在九月七日星期六，於哈里薩的黎巴嫩聖母大殿，由馬龍尼禮宗主教Béchara Rai樞機主持的慶典。
當日慶典進行前，一眾青年在大殿舉行典型慈幼式慶典。傍晚舉行守夜祈禱，與教宗方濟各，在聖伯多祿廣場舉行的和平守夜祈禱會同步進行。
黎巴嫩聖髑朝聖之旅的最後一站，為聖沙百里大殿，聖沙百里為一名隱修士，是國內最為人熟識的聖人。這樣，一名獻身祈禱默想的聖人，與另一名積極服務青年的聖人，相聚一起。
國內整個慈幼大家庭，對聖髑朝聖之旅圓滿舉行，深表滿意。從一些展示出來的藝術作品，可以看到慈幼大家庭成員，以及其他不同團體，透過他們的參與，從而認識鮑思高神父這位聖人暨教育家。
Don Bosco is known and loved
(ANS - Lebanon –Harissa, 12 September 2013) – On Monday last, 9 September, the pilgrimage of the relic of Don Bosco to Lebanon ended. “We could not have had a better conclusion,” says Fr Karmi Samaan, Rector of the Salesian Community at El Houssoun. “Don Bosco came as a pilgrim of peace and hope on 1 September, at the peak of the Syrian crisis, and he has left us with a gleam of light.”
In the Land of the Cedars, where the influx of refugees from Syria was increasing, just at the time when the relic came, the whole population heaved a sigh of relief. Many groups of friends of Don Bosco chose to overlook the danger and came even from Syria to venerate his remains.
The pilgrimage of the relic aroused great interest in the local media. There were celebrations of popular devotion, especially in some of the mountain villages of Mount Lebanon and in the North. These were accompanied by the throwing of rice and rose-petals, and by lanterns and torches. There were also solemn liturgical rites, like that of Saturday 7 September, presided over by the Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Béchara Rai, in the Basilica of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa.
Earlier that same day, in the same Basilica, there was a typically Salesian celebration for the young people. Later that evening there was a prayer vigil coinciding with the vigil for Peace with Pope Francis in St Peter’s Square in Rome.
The final act of the pilgrimage took place in the Shrine of St Charbel, a monk and hermit and Lebanon’s most popular saint. Thus two saints met, one of them completely dedicated to prayer and contemplation, the other to an active life at the service of young people.
The entire Salesian community in the country expressed great satisfaction at the success of the pilgrimage. The organization of some of the artistic displays was the work, not only of members of the Salesian Family, but also of many other groups who, through their participation, got to know Don Bosco, the Saint and educator.