HONG KONG (SE): The Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong hosted a vibrant two-day fundraising festival titled “Loving Legacy, Legacy of Love” on November 7 and 8 at Wan Chai HarbourChill. The event combined the “Praises of Creation” music concert with a cheerful “Love Pawty” pet walkathon. Inspired by the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi, the festival linked diocesan fundraising for land development and Church building with messages of peace, environmental care, and responsible pet ownership.
By the afternoon of November 8, physical and online fundraising efforts had raised nearly HK$8.5 million. The online platform will stay open until December 31 to collect further contributions.
During the opening ceremony, Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Ha Chi-shing shared that the festival aims to praise God’s creation through music while raising funds for cemetery upgrades and Church construction across the diocese. He welcomed non-Catholics to join, emphasising that the event was open to the whole community.
Funds raised will support cemetery improvements and the HK$500 million Visitation Church project in Tung Chung. The main structure of the Tung Chung church is expected to be finished in 2028, followed by six to nine months of interior decoration before its completion in 2029.
Father Dominic Chan Chi-ming, chairperson of the Diocesan Fund-raising Commission for Church Building and Development, expressed his deep gratitude to more than 1,200 performers from over 50 groups—four times the number of performers from a fundraising concert five years ago. He noted that their support was a sign of unity in one mission and synodality. He added that it was also the first time dogs were included in a diocesan event to extend God’s love to all creatures.
Bernadette Linn Hon-ho, secretary for Development, praised the diocese for supporting spiritual well-being through the waterfront community event. Quoting 1 Chronicles 22:19 printed on the event T-shirt—“Arise and build the sanctuary of the Lord!”—she highlighted that alongside city development, building an inner sanctuary of peace is equally vital.
Divine Word Father Manoj Mullackal, parish priest of Tung Chung, shared his gratitude after performing with his Society of the Divine Word confreres on November 8. He was deeply moved by the joy and support shown by lay people, schools, and even non-believers, noting how meaningful it was for priests and brothers to stand together to build the new church.
Sarah Li, choir leader at St. John The Baptist Catholic Primary School—one of three schools performing in the opening ceremony—said taking part in the diocesan fundraiser helped convey the message of love to students and their families.
The first day’s performances concluded with a grand sing-along led by Bishop Ha; Father Chan; vicar general, Father Paul Kam and local musicians.
Message on stewardship and pet blessing
Presiding over the “Love Pawty” pet blessing on the afternoon of November 8, Bishop Ha reflected on the legacy of St. Francis of Assisi, noting that the 800th anniversary of his death reminds everyone to view all living creatures as brothers and sisters and to recognise God’s beauty in nature. Drawing from scripture, he highlighted humanity’s calling to act as loving stewards of creation rather than dominant masters.
Urging owners to commit to responsible, lifelong care, Bishop Ha then led pet owners in solemn vows of stewardship before blessing the pets and starting the walkathon.
Former chief executive of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Donald Tsang Yam-kuen and his wife attended the blessing ceremony to show their support for the event.
Deacon Patrick Leung Pak-wai, a member of the fundraising committee and event coordinator, walked in the fourth group with his Akita named “Deacon”. Now weighing nearly 30 kilogrammes, the dog received its name when adopted by the family in 2023—the very same year Leung was ordained a deacon. Drawing on his experience raising seven dogs, Deacon Leung noted that Christians are called to care for creation as faithful stewards rather than owners of the world. According to him, the commission grouped dogs by size into five groups to reduce anxiety, prevent confusion, and help dogs of similar sizes socialise comfortably.
Louis Chan, a parishioner at St. Margaret Mary’s Church who joined the first walkathon group with his small poodle alongside a fellow parishioner from St. John’s Parish, stressed that building the Tung Chung Church is a shared effort that matters to lay people across all parishes.
