Diocesan Schools held a Joint Mass for the New Academic Year

兩年後的重聚

主教冀學生能訂下人生目標，抵抗逆境

In this reunion after two years,
the Reverend Bishop expects students to set life goals and resist adversity

短片由澳門教區社會傳播中心拍攝及製作。

教區學校舉行聯校開學彌撒 (天主教週報「號角報」 2022年9月23日報導) - 下載PDF版本

天主教澳門教區豁下的教區學校於二零二二年九月十六日早上假主教座堂舉行聯校開學彌撒，由教區首牧李斌生主教主禮，各校校牧包括劉偉傑神父、張俊鍵神父、杜亮神父、陳信望神父、羅樂仁神父一同共祭，多間學校校長、校監與校董、教區天主教教育委員會辦公室主任和副主任，以及九間學校師生代表出席。

On the morning of 16 September 2022, a joint Mass was celebrated by the nine Diocesan Schools in the Cathedral for the opening of a new academic year. Presided by the Reverend Bishop Stephen Lee and the School Chaplins that include Fr. Cyril Jerome Law, Jr., Fr. Michael Zhang, Fr. Leonardo Espena Dollentas, Fr. Chen Xin Wang, and Fr. Lawrence The Reh, the Mass was attended by the Diocesan School Principals, most of their Supervisors and members of the School Management Committees, Director and Deputy Director of the Diocesan Catholic Education Commission (C.D.E.C), along with representing teachers and students from the nine schools.

李主教在彌撒開始時表示，舉行開學彌撒就是要讓師生相聚在一起，透過聖祭向天主祈求在新的學年中得到天主的降福，藉着新一年的學業、所學到的知識，發揮出主耶穌基督的大愛，活出天主子女的身份。

At the beginning of the Mass, the Reverend Bishop revealed that the purpose of the Mass was to bring teachers and students together to pray to God for His blessing in the new school year, and to realise the love of Jesus Christ through dedicating in studies and acquisition of knowledge at school as children of God.

在講道中，主教引述當日福音指出，耶穌走遍各地各村講道，去宣傳天國的喜訊，而我們世上旅途中的教會，都會做各種的善工，以作本地教會的發展，其中一項便是推動教育、辦學，好能承行耶穌基督給予的使命。主教又指出，在場的每一位，不論是校董、校長、老師，還是學生，都好像宗徒一樣有着「臨在」的意思，每名代表都是臨在於天主教教育當中。

The Bishop then referred to the Gospel of the day that pointed out how Jesus had traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God, that similarly our Church as a whole and in all locales are doing the same good works through promoting education and schooling services so as to carry out the mission given to us by Jesus himself. The Bishop continued to point out that everyone's "presence" has a higher meaning that they are not just being physically present at the mass but being equally present in the Catholic Education, whether they are School Management Committee members, Principals, Teachers, or Students.

又引述讀經聖保祿宗徒的書信，指出人生的目標、信仰的終向就是死後的復活；而教育的終向，就是帶領所有的人去認識主耶穌基督及祂的教導，認識祂的死亡與復活，就是代表着永恆的幸福與希望：「讓師生們都知道，在世間的一段路程，都是一個旅程、朝聖，要學習在這段旅程中過有意義的生活，邁向充滿着有意義的永生。這就是天主教的教育。」

Quoting from the letters of St. Paul, the Reverend Bishop mentioned that the goal of life and the destiny of faith is the resurrection after death; and that the destiny of education is to guide everyone to learn about Jesus Christ and His teaching, to learn about His sacrifice and resurrection that represent eternal happiness and hope: "Let teachers and students know that every journey on earth is a trip or a pilgrimage for them to learn how to live a meaningful life throughout the whole journey, towards an eternality full of meaning. This is Catholic education."

教育與人生一樣，在每個時代都遇到不同的挑戰、逆境。當天亦是兩位殉道聖人——聖高爾乃略及聖西彼廉——的瞻禮，主教勉勵在場各同學，要效法聖人們的剛毅與勇毅，抵抗逆境，同時要學習自律與節制，即使不喜歡的事情也要盡力、訓練自己去做：「德行並非天生便有，而是需要透過訓練慢慢去培養出來，這是我們天主教教育一個很重要的一環。」

The pursuit of knowledge is a journey full of challenges and adversities ahead in any period of time. The Reverend Bishop raised the example of St. Cornelius and St. Cyprian on this day of the veneration of these two Saints, exhorting the students to follow their fortitude and courage in resisting adversity, and to establish self-discipline and moderation so they can still try their best in doing things they are not fond of: "Virtues are not innate but learnt, it is a very important part of Catholic education that we gradually develop our virtues through training."

主教又鼓勵同學要為自己訂立短、中、長的目標，在每天的生活中，發掘自己的優點，去為這些目標而努力：「我們在天主教學校中，特別是在校長、老師的帶動下，藉着不同的知識，開啟他們、讓同學學習到自律；內在的，能夠有目標，能有目標、能分辨善惡；外在的，能夠有德行。所以這些就是天主教教育，以耶穌基督作榜樣，所以希望在這些逆境中，能好好的面對這些挑戰，做天主的好子女。」

The Bishop also encourages students to set for themselves short, medium and long term objectives, so as to discover their own strengths in their daily lives while working towards their goals. He added that "In Catholic Schools, especially under the guidance of Principals and teachers, we open your minds with a variety of knowledge so that you can build up your own self-discipline, so that internally you can set various goals, and having such goals in mind you will then be able to distinguish between good and evil; while externally you can exhibit virtues you learn on the way. All these are different dimensions of Catholic education, to follow the example of Jesus Christ, so that in any adversity you can face the challenges well and be good children of God."

彌撒結束後，進行派遣公教老師及學生的儀式，各校師生代表從李主教手中接受蠟燭及聖經，並祈求天主賜予力量去面對各種挑戰，以言以行傳揚福音，成為真正的地鹽世光。

The Commissioning of Catholic teachers and students took place after the Mass, with representatives of the schools receiving candles and copies of the Holy Bible from the Bishop and praying to God to give them strength in facing all challenges ahead as they spread the Gospel by word and deed, and to lead them to truely become the salt of the Earth and the light of the world.

去年的教區學校開學彌撒受疫情影響取消，今年重新舉辦。今年教區學校的數目由原有的七間增至九間，新增兩間分別是聖羅撒女子中學中文部及聖羅撒英文中學。

The joint school opening mass was cancelled last year due to the epidemic, and it is held this year with the number of Diocesan Schools increased from 7 to 9, under the joining of English and Chinese Sections of Colégio de Santa Rosa de Lima (S.R.L.).

彌撒禮成後，天主教教區學校聯會會長、聖中六校的喬樹勇校長負責致辭，他指出教區學校是一個大家庭，歡迎兩所新加入的學校，讓教區學校這個大家庭不斷茁壯成長，祈願各師生也能為疫情早日結束而祈禱，讓大家庭的成員能經常聚首。 

Dr. Samuel Kio, President of the Associação Unida das Escolas Católicas da Diocese de Macau (A.U.E.C.D.M.) and Principal of Colégio Diocesano de São José Sexta Escola (C.D.S.J.6), delivered as speech at the end of the Mass. He welcomed the two newly joined schools to the Diocesan School family so that all 9 schools under the Catholic Diocese of Macau can continue to grow and flourish. He also urged all teachers and students to pray together for the covid-19 situation to end, to make way for more interschool events and collaborations.