【慈幼通訊社 ─ 2010年4月6日羅馬慈幼會總院訊】─ 今天，四月六日，慈幼大家庭慶祝鮑思高神父首位承繼人、真福盧華神父去世一百週年紀念，他正是於一百年前，在都靈華度角自己的房間內去世。

慈幼會士正全情投入，紀念這位偉大司鐸、教育家及修道者的紀念慶年。慶年於一月三十一日展開，並將在十月二十九至三十一日，於羅馬慈幼會總院舉行有關「歷史中的盧華神父」的國際會議中，舉行閉幕儀式。

彌額爾•盧華為鮑思高神父接待的首批青年，他在華度角慶禮院長大，並成為首批獻身在慈幼會宣發修道的人，他成為創會者的得力助手，分享鮑思高神父的生命和理想。有一次，鮑思高神父向他說：「彌額爾，在一切事上，你與我要平分一半。」

曾與盧華神父共事的第一代慈幼會士區斐賚神父寫道：「當他接管修會時，約有會士七百名，當他去世時，已增至四千。鮑思高神父留給他的，有六個國家共六十四所會院，而他留給他的承繼人的，則有三百四十一所會院，遍佈新舊大洲共三十個國家。當慈幼會創會者於一八八八年去世時，慈幼會傳教事業僅限於巴塔哥尼亞及火地；一九一零年，他們已於巴西及厄瓜多爾建立事業，接著更到達中國、印度、埃及和莫桑比克。」

他的主要美德，在於對牧民工作及社會事務莫大的開放，以及永不休止的工作，這可總括於「工作及節制」的格言中。此外，他也有敏銳的觸覺、寬廣的善心、對貧苦無告青少年特殊的愛護，以及一份慶禮院精神，使「每座會院都應成為慶禮院」，這話更成為他的口頭禪，這確是一份熱切傳教的心火，以及對平信徒深切的關愛。

盧華神父從鮑思高神父，承繼了一份對青年工人及藍領階層熱切的關懷，以及對所有以保障維護個人權益的組織一份極大的重視。從一八七五年起，他與法國社會改革者Leone Harmel合作，以優惠條件，支援很多法國工人團體，在意大利發動多場示威，並在「新事物」通諭作者 ─ 教宗良十三世前，表達基督徒工人階層的狀況。真福盧華神父這份關注的結果，促成都靈首個製衣業工人天主教貿易聯盟成立，他並於多個不同的場合中，在罷工後作出調解，回復和平秩序。此外，他亦促成社會對基本人權、以及工人與僱主之間的公平關係的尊重。

盧華神父去世後，因一生的聖德而受稱譽。一九七二年十月二十九日，教宗保祿六世祝聖他為真福。

在慈幼會網站 www.sdb.org 中，載有盧華神父生平及事業的不同資訊。稍後，鮑思高福傳媒體中心將與慈幼會歷史學院合作，出版一輯名為「承繼人盧華」的DVD光碟。

In memory of Blessed Michael Rua

(ANS – RMG –  Rome, 6 April 2010 ) – Today,  Tuesday 6 April, the Salesian Family is  celebrating the centenary of the death of the first successor of Don Bosco, Blessed Michael Rua, which occurred in his room at Valdocco, Turin, just a hundred years ago.

The Salesians are devoting to the memory of this great priest, educator and religious, a year of celebrations. Begun on 31 January, the year will conclude with an International Congress on “Don Rua in History” to be held in Rome between 29 and 31 October  at the Salesianum.

Among the first boys to be welcomed by Don Bosco, Michael Rua grew up at the Oratory in Valdocco and, after being among the very first to make religious profession in the Salesian Congregation, he became the right hand man of the Founder with whom he shared his life and ideals. “Michael, you and I will go halves in everything” Don Bosco once told him.  

“When he took charge of the Congregation there were 700 religious; when he died there were 4000. He inherited from Don Bosco 64 houses in 6 different countries, and he left to his successor 341 spread in 30 countries in the Old and New Continents. At the death of the Founder in 1888, the Salesian missions were limited to Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego; in 1910 they had gone to take their place in the forests of Brazil and Ecuador where the Indians lived, then China, India, Egypt and Mozambique,” wrote  Fr Auffray, a Salesian of the first generation in his life of Don Rua.

Among his main qualities were a great openness in pastoral and social terms and untiring hard work, summed up in the motto “work and temperance”. To these were added a great sensitivity , an open-hearted kindness, a special love for the poorest youngsters, an oratorian spirit, so that he was accustomed to say “every house ought to be an oratory”, an ardent missionary zeal and a deep regard for the laity.

Don Rua inherited from Don Bosco a vibrant concern for young workers and for the working class, as well as great appreciation for all forms of organisations aimed at protecting and safeguarding every one’s rights. On good terms from 1875, with the French social reformer Leone Harmel, he supported and gave assistance to the many groups of French workers who on a number of occasions demonstrated in Italy  and also in the presence of Pope Leo XIII, the writer of “Rerum Novarum”, about their condition as Christian workers. It was as a result of the interest shown by Blessed Michael Rua that in Turin the first Catholic Trades Union was founded for  workers in the fashion industry and on a number of occasions he intervened to restore peace after strike action and to establish respect for fundamental human rights, more just and fair relationships between workers and employers.

The reputation for holiness which accompanied Don Rua during his life grew after his death. Pope Paulo VI beatified him on 29 October 1972.

On the sdb.org site various resources are available connected with the life and work of Don Rua. Shortly a DVD will be published: “Don Rua – The Successor”, produced by the Missioni Don Bosco in collaboration with the Salesian Hitorical Institute (ISS).