Macao – 1906 – On 13 February 1906, the Portuguese Salesians established a presence in Macao, a presence that lasted for 92 years, until 1999, when the territory was returned to China. The Salesians arrived at the request of the Bishop of Macao. They came to the territory under the guidance of Fr Louis Versiglia (Saint, Salesian protomartyr), who was also the first Rector of the Orphanage of the Immaculate Conception – today the Salesian Institute, which is still in operation. Over the years, the orphanage was opened first, followed by a primary school, workshops and buildings equipped with modern facilities and machinery. With the handover of the territory to China, the works in Macao were integrated into the Salesian Province of Mary Help of Christians’in China, based in Hong Kong, and a new organisational structure was established in 2000.
