【慈幼通訊社 ─ 2009年8月27日盧旺達布塔雷訊】 ─ René-Marie Picron神父（一九零六年生於布魯塞爾，一九九一年卒於布塔雷），將成為另一位榮列「天主忠僕」的慈幼會士。列品案代理人認為，這位慈幼會士的聖德，在今天的非洲社會中，已備受人們推崇。
Enrico dal Covolo 神父花了兩個月的時間，來到次撒哈拉非洲地區，探訪剛果（盧本巴希）、安哥拉、南非、肯尼亞、坦桑尼亞、盧旺達及烏干達的慈幼會士地區。探訪期間，他為慈幼會士及母佑會修女主持了四次退省，並舉行了多次討論及面談，尤其是在培育院內。他擅於以簡易方式，講述慈幼會士的聖德，鼓勵我們大家庭內的眾人，追隨這條道路。
非洲慈幼會士的聖德號召，對會省的現況來說，最為適合不過，因為此時正值第二屆天主教非洲主教大會特別會議召開（本年十月）；我們修會成立一百五十週年暨真福盧華神父特別紀念年份；我們為鮑思高誕辰二百週年作虔誠的預備；鮑思高遺體之旅又正如火如荼，而慈幼會士來非一百週年紀念又將要舉行（二零一一年）。基於這些因素，現在為慈幼大家庭這位真正的聖德典範進行推廣，似乎最為適合。
Picron神父是偉大的傳教士。他於比利時列日市Ixelles慈幼會學校完成學業，並進入修院，於一九二四年八月二十九日矢發初願。一九三三年，他於比利時Grand-Halleux晉鐸後，隨即前往剛果。
他在盧本巴希數公里外的Kafubu擔任主任司鐸。他曾任剛果區神長，並於一九五二至一九五九年間，任比利時會省省會長，當時南北比利時、剛果、盧旺達及布隆迪，合為單一會省。Picron神父致力推動剛果會士成為獨立團體。
因此，當中非會省於一九五九年成立後，他便為會省服務。在往後十年間，他擔任了院長、初學師、教師、告解神師、舊同學會會省委員、音樂教師及傳教活動推廣等多項工作及職務。當他的健康狀況於一九七二年轉差時，便轉往盧旺達布塔雷培育院過退休生活，並繼續擔任告解神師等特別職務，直至安息主懷。他的遺體安葬於布塔雷初學院的花園中。
視Picron神父為聖人的，不只是慈幼會士。很多其他修會，尤其是與他關係密切，對他深入了解的伯爾納定會修女，已樂於為他的聖德作見證。
初步調查程序的進行，將視乎省會長Gabriel Ngendakuriyo神父的決定，假如有說服力的證據，他會向總會長作正式提出申請，展開封聖程序。
Another Salesian on the way to the altars?
(ANS – Rwanda - Butare, 27 August 2009 ) – Father René-Marie Picron (Brusells, 1906 – Butare, 1991) could be the next Salesian to be proposed as a Servant of God. In the view of the Postulator General, this is the person in Salesian Africa today who has enjoyed the greatest reputation for holiness.
Fr Enrico dal Covolo has spent two months in sub-saharan Africa, visiting the Salesians circumscriptions of the Congo (Lubumbashi), Angola, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda. Over this time he has preached four retreats to the Confreres, and to the Salesian Sisters, and has held various conferences and meetings, especially in formation houses. He was able to illustrate the topic of Salesian holiness in broad terms, encouraging many people in our Family along this path.
This appeal to Salesian holiness in Africa is more relevant than ever due to providential circumstances: The second extraordinary assembly of the Synod Bishops for the Church in Africa (October 2009); the hundred and fiftieth anniversay of the founding of our Congregation and the special year dedicated to the memory of Don Rua; fervent preparations for the second centenary of Don Bosco`s birth, the pilgrimage of the Saints` relics; and the coming centenary of the arrival of Salesians in Africa (2011). For all these reasons it is seen as most appropriate to propose that the Salesian Family have a valid model of holiness.
Father Picron was above all a great missionary. He completed his studies in the Salesian school in Ixelles, Liege, entered the Congregation and made his first vows on 29 August 1924. In 1933 he was ordained priest at Grand-Halleux, Belgium. He left immediately for the Congo.
He was Parish Priest at Kafubu, a few kms from Lubumbashi. He was the delegation superior for Congo, then rpovincial in Belgium from 1952 to 1959, when North and South Belgium, Congo, Rwanda and Burundi made up a single Salesian Province. It was Father Picron who energetically fostered the religious independence of the Congo.
So when the Central Africa Province was created in 1959 he made himself available for this province. Over ten years he was rector, director of novices, teacher, confessor spiritual director, province delegate for the past pupils, music teacher and animator of various mission activities. When his health began to decline in 1972, he retired to the formation House in Butare, in Rwanda, where he continued his special service as confessor and spiritual director until he died. His body lies in the gardens at the novitiate in Butare.
It is not confreres alone who consider Fr Picron a saint. Many others, and especially the Bernardine Sisters, who knew him close at hand, are ready to testify to his holiness.
It will be up to the Provincial Fr Gabriel Ngendakuriyo, to carry out preliminary investigations, and if these are convincing, to present the Rector Major with a formal request for introducing the Cause.