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Titus Zeman 神父於一九一五年一月四日，生於布拉提斯拉瓦附近 Vajnory 的一個基督徒家庭。他十歲時，便渴望成為神父，他在Šaštín、Hronský Svätý Benedikt及 Frištak u Holešova，與慈幼會士一起完成初中及高中課程後，於一九三一年進入初學，並於一九三八年三月七日在羅馬聖心大殿宣發永願。 他於羅馬額我略大學攻讀神學，及在基愛理於課餘時間從事慶禮院牧職工作。他終於一九四零年六月二十三日，在都靈達成他長久以來的目標，從 Maurizio Fossati 樞機手中領受鐸職。一九四零年八月四日，他於家鄉 Vajnory 舉行首祭。 一九五零年四月，捷克共產政權禁止所有修會活動，並開始把男女修道者流放到集中營，因此修道者需要展開秘密旅程，逃到都靈，使能完成課程。Zeman神父肩負了這項艱險任務。
經過十二年的牢獄生涯，Zeman神父於一九六四年三月十日獲保釋出獄。五年後，他因牢獄期間遭受那不可磨滅的苦痛，於一九六九年一月八日逝世，獲享殉道聖人的稱譽。 Titus Zeman神父為慈幼大家庭第一百七十二名「特選者」及第二十八名天主忠僕。未來數個星期，在天主忠僕去世的布拉提斯拉瓦教區，將會舉行展開封聖程序的典禮。 Fr Titus Zeman, a new Servant of God in the Salesian Family (ANS – Vatican City, 19 February 2010 ) – On 22 January the Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints signed the “nulla osta” for the start of the diocesan enquiry concerning the martyrdom of the Slovak Salesian priest Fr Titus Zeman (1915 – 1969). His story is an excellent example to fidelity to the cause of Don Bosco. Fr Titus Zeman was born into a Christian family on 4 January 1915 at Vajnory, near Bratislava. He wanted to become a priest from 10 years of age and completed his secondary school and sixth form studies with the Salesians in Šaštín, Hronský Svätý Benedikt and Frištak u Holešova; in 1931 he made his novitiate and on 7 March 1938 made his Perpetual Profession at the Sacred Heart in Rome. A student of theology at the Gregorian University in Rome and then in Chieri, he spent his spare time carrying out his apostate in the Oratory. In Turin, on 23 June 1940, he achieved his long-held goal of priestly ordination at the hands of Cardinal Maurizio Fossati. On 4 August 1940, in Vajnory, his home town he said his first mass. When in April 1950 the Czechoslovak communist regime forbade religious orders and began deporting religious men and women to concentration camps it became necessary to organise in secret journeys to Turin to enable religious to complete their studies. Fr Zeman took on this dangerous task. The Servant of God organised two expeditions for over 60 young Salesians. At the third attempt Fr Zeman, together with those escaping were arrested. He was subjected to a hard trial, during which he was described as a traitor to the fatherland and a Vatican spy, and even risked death. On 22 February 1952, in consideration of some attenuating circumstances he was sentenced to 25 years in prison. Fr Zeman came out of prison on remand only after 12 years incarceration on 10 March 1964. Indelibly marked by the sufferings endured in prison he died five years later on 8 January 1969, surrounded by the glorious reputation of a martyr and a saint. Fr Titus Zeman is the 172nd “special ones” of the Salesian Family and the 28th Servant of God. In the next few weeks in the diocese of Bratislava, where the Servant of God died, the opening session of the diocesan process will be celebrated. |
【慈幼通訊社