HONG KONG (SE): A priest and a couple who underwent quarantine due to the Covid-19 coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) outbreak shared that faith was an important source of support for them in passing through the trial.
Father Joseph Liu Ah-lun, parish priest of Holy Redeemer parish, Tuen Mun, was quarantined at the Holy Spirit Seminary after he returned to Hong Kong on March 19 from the Philippines where he was supposed to join a training programme lasting until the end of June. The programme was cut short due to the pandemic.
In an interview posted by Boiling Point on Facebook on March 28, Father Liu told Father Dominique Mukonda that it is important for people not to be afraid during the pandemic and trust in Jesus Christ.
Father Liu said the programme he was involved in stopped because of to the community quarantine imposed in the mid March in Manila (Sunday Examiner, March 29). People were not allowed to go out and public transport facilities were suspended. He said he was supposed to join an eight-day retreat but had to return immediately to Hong Kong. He was not afraid of becoming infected in the Philippines as he stayed at his training institute and wore a facemask most of the time.
He said he spent his quarantine time praying, reading and writing his reflections.
Father Liu was disappointed by the suspension of Masses in Hong Kong. However, he was told by some parishioners that it may not be that bad as they could watch Masses from around the world online, even the one celebrated by Pope Francis.
He encouraged the faithful to stay calm and hopeful during the pandemic as God stays with them. “Do not be afraid. Equip yourself while you stay at home and strengthen your relationship with God and your family,” he said.
Mrs. Wong, a Catholic from Tai Po, and her husband, finished their quarantine on March 4. They were passengers aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship. A parishioner from Immaculate Heart of Mary parish, she recalled that when they were under quarantine on the ship, a number of passengers were confirmed infected with Covid-19.
They spent their time by exercising for 20 minutes prior to taking meals in their own rooms. They also tried their best to keep calm and maintain personal hygiene.
When they arrived Hong Kong on a chartered flight on February 20 and moved to a quarantine centre, they continued praying and studying the Bible to strengthen their relationship with God during Lent.
Mrs. Wong said the most difficult part was knowing that they would be quarantined in Hong Kong for 14 days after being stranded in Japan for a long time. But they soon stopped being depressed as friends sent them prayers and messages of support.
She recounted that they boarded the cruise in Hong Kong on January 25 and it took her exactly 40 days to return home. She compared their journey to the one of Noah and his family on the Ark, a journey in which God took care of everything.
“We believe that God paved a way for us to follow. Through this experience, I realise the importance of having faith in God,” she said.
