HONG KONG (SE): On Thursday, December 8, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, 32 Jubilarian priests and religious nuns were recognised for their service to the Diocese of Hong Kong at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on Caine Road. Their anniversaries ranged from 70, 60, 50 and 25 years of priestly ordination or religious profession.
Bishop Stephen Chow Sau Yan SJ, celebrated the Mass, which was concelebrated by the bishops emeritus Joseph Cardinal Zen Ze-kiun and John Cardinal Tong-hon, Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Ha Chi-shing and over 70 priests, including Monsignor José Luis Díaz-Mariblanca Sanchéz, head of the Holy See Study Mission.
Bishop Chow expressed his gratitude to the more than 32 priests and sisters who celebrated their 70th, 60th, 50th or 25th anniversary of priesthood or religious profession and asked for prayers for more blessings on them and the Church so they can fulfil the mission God has entrusted to them.
Delivering his reflection in Chinese about his 50 years of priestly ministry, Father Peter Leung Tat-choy, recalled how the seed of God’s love was implanted in his heart by listening to the hymns of the Anglicans in Mongkok. However, it was the Sisters of St. Paul de Chartres, who used to visit his sick mother in St. Teresa’s Hospital, who invited him to attend Mass in St. Teresa’s Church, Prince Edward Road. He was later baptised there and served as an altar boy. Once the altar boys of the parish paid a visit to the Holy Spirit Seminary, and Father Dominic Kong Yun-kwan, then a seminarian, invited him to join the seminary.
In his sharing, Father Leung expressed his profound admiration for his Salesian colleague Father Michael Ng San-hou, who was ordained with him 50 years ago. The late Father Ng was severely injured during a fire in Taiwan, and his face and limbs were thus deformed. However, he bravely maintained his service to his parish and to young people in Taiwan. “Father Ng has shown a lot of courage to face challenges in his life. He gave me a lot of motivation,” Father Leung said. He later came to concelebrate a Mass with him to mark his 45th anniversary as a priest.
Father Leung thanked the diocese for the opportunity to serve in different parishes in the past five decades and expressed gratitude for the support of people around him, such as the religious sisters and parishioners. “They keep telling me they pray for me every day. That is why I am here today,” he said.
In her reflection delivered in English, Sister Emilia Marcelo of the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, who celebrated the golden jubilee of her religious profession, said she was deeply grateful that God had chosen her to be a religious sister and her 50 years is a long journey, loaded with great joys and challenges.
Hong Kong was her first mission assignment, and she has spent 42 years here.
She recounted the racial slurs she encountered on the streets of Hong Kong in her early years. She was once told to leave a shop because she was Filipino. “These experiences allowed me to share in the plight of my fellow countrymen.”
Through them, I understood better that, like Christ, I am called to serve and not to be served
Sister Marcelo
She recalled teaching Vietnamese boat people English even very late at night, rain or shine, and participating in prayer meetings, catechism classes, and sharing sessions with hundreds of migrants. “Through them, I understood better that, like Christ, I am called to serve and not to be served,” she said. She recalls with contentment ten years of association with an ecumenical group in Hong Kong.
Sister Marcelo is also remembered for having worked in the bishop’s office for more than 34 years. “There, I experienced the importance of focusing on our mission. I had the privilege of working with fellow consecrated people whose highest goal in life was to render to God what belongs to God, dedicated ordained men whose service is always directed to what is true and just,” she said.
During the liturgy, the congregation was urged to pray for the Hong Kong Church, for religious vocations to consecrated life, justice and love in Hong Kong society, and for the repose of the faithful departed.
Sister Anitha Eddula of the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate and Sister Winnie Marie Yau of the Sisters of St. Paul de Chartres, both celebrating their silver jubilee of religious profession this year, served as readers during the Mass.
I am grateful to the Lord for choosing me to be a missionary in Hong Kong, China, and for using me as a weak instrument in his service for all these 17 years in this lovely mission,
Sister Eddula
Sister Eddula, who joined the convent in India at the age of 14 and made her perpetual vow at 21, came to Hong Kong 17 years ago. “I am grateful to the Lord for choosing me to be a missionary in Hong Kong, China, and for using me as a weak instrument in his service for all these 17 years in this lovely mission,” she told the Sunday Examiner.
After serving at Immaculate Heart of Mary parish, Tai Po, for six years, she came to St. Benedict’s parish, Shatin, seven years ago, where she currently serves as the pastoral sister. While the trial of learning Cantonese is not easy to overcome, she said she feels touched by the support of people around her, and she regards Hong Kong as her home.
Jojo Ma Yuk-chu and Kenneth Law Kai-lit, president and secretary of the Central Council of Catholic Laity, congratulated the jubilarians on behalf of the laity of the Hong Kong diocese and thanked them for their sacrifices and witnesses.
Earlier in the day, a reception in appreciation of the jubilarians was held at Caritas Hall. In his message during the reception, Bishop Chow urged more prayers for the jubilarians so that they could continue to be blessings for others and presented them with souvenirs.
