HONG KONG (SE): “I am over eighty, but my health is alright. It is because I liked skipping rope when I was a child,” said John Cardinal Tong Hon while officiating the opening ceremony of a rope-skipping event at Yaumati Catholic Primary School (Hoi Wang Road) on June 30.
Students from diocesan kindergarten, primary and secondary schools, 99 of them in total, took part in the event organised by the Catholic Education Office. The idea was to encourage a healthy lifestyle with regular exercise, while at the same time raised funds for church building and development.
In his message, the cardinal expressed his appreciation for the fund-raising campaign combined with the promotion of a healthy physique. “Churches are places to promote virtues from God, carry out charity, nurture spiritual life, give counselling and help to heal,” the cardinal said. He hoped more people would work together to build up churches and help with Church development.
Father Benedict Lam Cho-ming, the chairperson of the Diocesan Fund-raising Commission for Church Building and Development, thanked everyone for contributing to the event. “Every single donation is significant,” he said expressing the hope that students and their parents could contribute to church building so that more people can share the peace and mercy of God.
Students began skipping rope as the cardinal triggered the start-horn. Representatives from 99 schools performed in different styles to the beat of the music, while their schoolmates joined the event via video-conferencing in relays.
For the students and teachers of Tung Chung Catholic School, the event was something special because they would be one of the beneficiaries of the activity. Funds raised will be used for the construction of a new church in Tung Chung. Currently, Sunday Masses are celebrated inside their school.
For the students and teachers of Tung Chung Catholic School, the event was something special because they would be one of the beneficiaries of the activity. Funds raised will be used for the construction of a new church in Tung Chung. Currently, Sunday Masses are celebrated inside their school.
Chan Hiu-kwan, a form three student at the school told the Kung Kao Po that she looked forward to the building of the new church so that they could have their school opening or year-end Mass at the chapel. She joins rope-skipping activities regularly at school but this was the first time she did it with so many students from other schools.
‘Churches do not only offer spiritual services to the faithful, they also help the needy in society through many pious associations, for example, by visiting the elderly or the sick’
Polly Chan
“We are still students and our power may be small. But we can in fact make some contributions,” she said.
“Skipping rope can be done alone or with others. It is an exercise which can be done even under social distancing regulations at present,” Jenny Lo Shuk-yee, secretary of Hong Kong Catholic Diocesan Schools Council (Primary Section), said.
The school principal said the event can remind students to exercise more as many sports activities had to be cancelled because of the Covid-19 coronavirus [SARS-CoV-2] pandemic.
Preparations for the event began in March. The fund-raising activity was promoted during the morning assembly of the schools, while students were also taught the rope skipping skills in their physical education classes.
Polly Chan Shuk-yee, the chairperson of Hong Kong Catholic Diocesan Schools Service Centre, said that while a parish fund-raising event seeks for donations mostly from parishioners, a similar event at the schools can let non-churchgoers know that there are channels to donate funds for church building and realise that churches, in fact, have a lot to do with education and social services.
“Churches do not only offer spiritual services to the faithful, they also help the needy in society through many pious associations, for example, by visiting the elderly or the sick,” she said.
John Siu Sze-chuen, chairperson of the executive committee of the Hong Kong Catholic Diocesan Schools Council said the fundraising goal is two million Hong Kong dollars. The council also plans to organise fund-raising for Church development every year to show its support.
