HONG KONG (SE): “The weather is getting cold these days. Please dress warmly,” Stella Tong Sau-lin reminded an elderly person in a phone call. As a member of the Seniors’ Group of St. James’ Church, Yau Tong, Tong will call them in cold weather or big festivals. She believes that, as a second home for parishioners, a parish should care about the elderly in the community.
The parish set up a seniors’ group over 10 years ago for people over 60-years-old, regularly organising prayer services and social gatherings for members. A Mass for senior parishioners is also celebrated every month to pray for the elderly.
Before she retired, Tong was a legionnaire who worked with the elderly. Upon joining the senior’s group she spent much time chatting with the older parishioners.
She told the Kung Kao Po that a simple question of care and concern can be really important. She recalled that she met an old parishioner who lives alone and found his slow response to her questions strange. So she brought him to the doctor who suggested a detailed hospital check which found that he was experiencing a stroke.
Father Fan said senior parishioners need company and they sometimes express their loneliness after gatherings in Church. Therefore, he often holds meal gatherings. ‘In fact, the meal itself is not most important. The most important thing is to let the old people feel being respected and cared about’
She said many of them regard the parish as their home and the parish priests as the leaders of the family. During big festivals, they expect to have a dinner gathering with the parish priests, and Father Joseph Fan Kam-tong, spiritual advisor of the group, often brings them to restaurants.
Father Fan said senior parishioners need company and they sometimes express their loneliness after gatherings in Church. Therefore, he often holds meal gatherings. “In fact, the meal itself is not most important. The most important thing is to let the old people feel being respected and cared about,” the parish priest said.
The Love In Action Group of St. Francis of Assisi Church, Sham Shui Po, offers a service to bring senior parishioners with walking difficulties to Mass on Sundays. When Covid-19 pandemic restrictions were relaxed, volunteers brought the elderly to restaurants after Mass for small group meal gatherings.
Ma Chun-yin, coordinator of the group, said the gathering lets the elderly share their situations and offer support if necessary. For example, some may need help to go to hospitals for follow-up appointments but no family member can help. Volunteers will then be assigned to them and pay regular visits.
Anthony Law Wang-tat, a Caritas social worker at the Caritas Yuen Long Rural Community Development Project, encouraged children to visit their elderly parents more often. Serving in the villages along Kam Sheung Road, Yuen Long, he observed that many old couples live alone and they long for a visit from their children.
He also encouraged people to listen to the old people with patience and see what they really need.
Pope Francis instituted the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly at the end of January to be marked annually to honour them and to underscore their importance to society.
