HONG KONG (SE): During a migrants’ day celebration on October 2, Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Ha Chi-shing explained the importance of Communion, Mission and Participation, the theme of the Synod on Synodality being held in Rome from October 4 to 29, and urged the migrants to help to build up the Church and have the confidence to evangelise.
The Diocesan Commission on Pastoral Services to Migrant Workers organised the event, under the theme of “Walking together in Faith for Mission”, at Christ the King Chapel, Causeway Bay. Members of the Filipino, Indonesian, Sri Lankan, and Vietnamese communities attended the annual gathering.
Bishop Ha shared during a talk that communion means being one in Christ, noting that according to Pope Francis, we must first and foremost be in communion with our brothers and sisters. “Despite coming from different parts of the world, we are one people, no matter where we come from,” he asserted. We are members of the same Church and we must remain close to our Lord in order to maintain our Christian identity.
Bishop Ha elaborated on the importance of participation, explaining that each of us plays a role. Everyone must participate for the Church to be established. He expressed his appreciation for those present who have joined a community that is dedicated to the building up of the Church.
Despite coming from different parts of the world, we are one people, no matter where we come from
Bishop Ha
The bishop noted that mission is an important aspect of the Church, since the Church is not for us alone, and we have to open its doors to let everyone in. He said that it is our responsibility as Christians to go out into the world and show people that they are loved by God and that they can live a happy life.
Bishop Ha presided over the concelebrated Mass with around 10 priests, including Filipino chaplain, Father Jay Flandez; Indonesian chaplain, Father Natalius Suryanto; Vietnamese chaplain Father John Baptist Le Van Ba; together with Father Blaise Cooray and Father Franz Gassner who serve the Sri Lankan and German-speaking communities.
As the Mass was held a few days after Bishop Stephen Chow, SJ, was made a cardinal, Bishop Ha said he was touched by the moment when Cardinal Chow received the red hat from the pope, and he believes the universality of the Church was fully evident when the 21 cardinals from different parts of the world went up to the pope one by one.
In his homily, Bishop Ha said the month-long synod is very important because synodality is about the nature of the Church itself.
The bishop stressed that we do not need to be perfect in order to spread the word of God, and migrants should be confident that they are capable of doing so. “Jesus believes in us, trusts us much more than we believe in ourselves,” he said. He invited those present to ponder how they respond to Jesus’ command, “Go and make disciples of all nations” [Matthew 28:19].
Bishop Ha said he was touched by the moment when Cardinal Chow received the red hat from the pope, and he believes the universality of the Church was fully evident when the 21 cardinals from different parts of the world went up to the pope one by one
At the conclusion, Father Blaise thanked Bishop Ha for delivering a beautiful homily and reminded the migrants present that they are always remembered by the diocese as the commission holds meetings every three months to look at their needs.
The Mass was also attended by two representatives from the Philippine Consulate: Social Welfare attaché, Remilene Marcelino, and Lhyndzie Anne Orozco.
Prior to the Mass, there was a rosary prayer and a sharing session. Migrants of different nationalities spoke about their personal faith journeys. Filipino domestic worker, Lorelie Fuentecillos, expressed her gratitude to the Good Shepherd sisters of the Diocesan Pastoral Centre for Filipinos who guided her through her trials. She also thanked the Filipino chaplaincy which organised liturgical Bible studies that enrich her spirituality.
Indonesian worker, Rhea Embun, shared how she missed her family when she was sick. Sri Lankan student, Sanduni, shared how she turned to prayer to cure her illness and to see life’s blessings instead of her struggle.
Tess Pham Quyen shared how the Vietnamese-speaking community at St. Joseph English School, Choi Hung, had helped her grow, given her refuge from all the problems in Hong Kong, and let her know that with faith, everywhere can be home.
