[Bosco LINK] China Province, 09 Nov 2025 -- “Uniting the Salesian Family, Continuing Don Bosco’s Dream” — The year 2026 marks the 120th anniversary of the arrival of the Salesians of Don Bosco in China. To commemorate this historic milestone, the China Province has planned a year-and-a-half series of celebratory events. The opening ceremony of these events was held on November 1, 2025, All Saints Day, at Mary Help of Christians Hall, Instituto Salesiano (the Motherhouse of the province).
The ceremony was graced by Fr. Domingos Leong, Provincial of the China Province, and Sr. Kenny Luk, Provincial of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians of China Province, together with over 300 participants, including Salesians from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, representatives of the Salesian Family organizations in Macau, mission partners, and youth. Together, they witnessed the launch of the 120th Anniversary celebration series.
The event consisted of two parts. It began with a speech delivered by Fr. Domingos Leong. He recalled how, inspired by Don Bosco’s “Dream of China,” Fr. Luigi Versiglia and the first group of missionaries to China set sail from Europe and arrived in Macau on February 13, 1906, marking the beginning of the Salesians’ mission in China. Through education and evangelization, they served poor and abandoned youth, planting the seeds of Christ’s love and Don Bosco’s spirit deep within the Chinese society.
Fr. Provincial encouraged all members of the Salesian Family to continue caring for and accompanying young people amid today’s rapidly changing world, remaining faithful to the “Education of Love” that characterizes the Salesian mission and rekindling the zeal for evangelization. The ceremony continued with a Eucharistic Celebration for the Feast of All Saints, presided by Salesians from the 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 conclude on May 24, 2027, the Feast of Mary Help of Christians, with a grand Marian procession. Throughout this period, various programs, formation sessions, and thematic activities will be organized to help Salesian youth, collaborators, family members, and the public of Macau better understand the missionary beginnings of the Salesians in China since 1906, and to renew commitment to their pastoral mission of youth education and evangelization.