HONG KONG (SE): The Covid-19 coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic could not stop young people from gathering and encouraging each other amid the challenges presented by the ongoing pandemic and the trials facing society as the celebrated Diocesan Youth Day online this year on October 10.
The Diocesan Youth Commission organised the event with the theme, Stand Up Together, in line with Pope’s Francis’ World Youth Day message this year entitled, Young man, I say to you, arise! (Luke 7:14).
The livestreamed event included games and a music video expressing gratitude for the contributions of medical frontliners in this time of the pandemic. It began with a musical performance with songs encouraging young people to have hope and become the salt and light of the world given the current situation in Hong Kong. Father Dominique Mukonda Kananga, chairperson of the Diocesan Youth Commission, led an opening prayer inviting young people to give glory to God and respond to his call.
Participants were invited to share their thoughts following a skit depicting the frustration of the Apostles after the death of Jesus and their surprise after his resurrection.
Bishop Joseph Ha Chi-shing shared his reflections on Pope Francis’ message for the diocesan World Youth Day 2020. He urged people to empathise with the pain and sufferings of others and take action to bring help like Jesus who resurrected the dead son of a widow out of empathy as narrated in the Gospel of Luke.
Bishop Ha said young people may feel despair, but he encouraged them not to idealise a certain stage of life, but to instead be prepared for challenges. Many people may ask themselves why they follow Jesus especially before difficulties. He shared that he could also feel lost and disappointed at times and find it hard to understand the meaning of trials. “But Jesus comes to us when we are down, just like with the Apostles after his resurrection,” he said.
Cecilia Lee Pui-sze, an organiser, said the pandemic presented some difficulties in the preparation of the event, one example being the performance of the skit as it was impossible to gather live actors or do any rehearsals. So the production team, mainly students of a recent online arts and spirituality workshop, got creative and used Lego figures as actors.
Musicians also found it difficult to meet or record any music videos. Lee said they only met at the end of September when the number of infections showed signs of respite.
As young people have been spending more time at the computer or with electronic games during the pandemic, at the end of the programme the commission announced a competition about church building designs via that Nintendo Switch game called Animal Crossing. Participants can upload a video introducing their work.
“As game players can visit other parcipant’s ‘islands’, it presents a way to evangelise if a church is built there,” Lee explained.
