HONG KONG (SE): The China Province of the Society of the Divine Word [SVD] celebrated with joy the ordination of two new priests, Joseph Nguyen Van Thanh and Thaddeus Dao Duy Thien, during a solemn liturgy held on June 28, the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. The ordination Mass took place at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Caine Road, and was presided over by Cardinal Stephen Chow, S.J., of Hong Kong.
Father Dao will begin his priestly ministry in Hong Kong, while Father Nguyen has been sent on mission to South Korea.
The liturgy began with Cardinal Stephen blessing images of St. Arnold Janssen, founder of the SVD, and St. Joseph Freinademetz, one of the congregation’s first missionaries to China. He warmly welcomed all in attendance, especially the families of the ordinandi from Vietnam, Father John Kennedy, SVD, provincial superior of South Korea, and Divine Word Missionaries from Vietnam and the region.
Among the approximately 50 concelebrants were Joseph Cardinal Zen Ze-kiun, retired bishop of Hong Kong; Father Johnson Dhos, svd; district superior of Hong Kong and Macau; and Father John Baptist Le Van Ba, rector of the SVD Overseas Training Programme’s Study House in Hong Kong.
During the Rite of Ordination, the two candidates were formally presented to the ordaining bishop by Father Le. In his homily, Cardinal Stephen reflected on the responsibilities of the priesthood, highlighting the role of priests as co-workers with their bishops in shepherding the People of God and proclaiming the gospel.
He encouraged the ordinandi to live out their faith with integrity and to become builders of communion in the Church through their ministry of the Word and the sacraments.
After the Promise of Obedience and the Litany of Supplication, Cardinal Stephen laid hands on the heads of the candidates, invoking the Holy Spirit to consecrate them to the presbyterate. All the concelebrating clergy joined in this sacred gesture. The newly ordained were then vested with the stole and chasuble, the liturgical garments of the priesthood, assisted by family members and fellow priests.
These two men left their homeland to serve in Hong Kong and South Korea, embracing new cultures while carrying out the mission of evangelisation. Their journey embodies our congregation’s call to bring Christ’s light to all corners of the world
Father Johnson Dhos
As part of the ritual, the new priests received the patens with bread and chalices with wine, handed to them by the bishop, symbolising their role in presiding at the Eucharist.
In his words of thanksgiving, Father Dao expressed his deep gratitude to the cardinals, priests, religious, family members, teachers, and parishioners, with particular appreciation for the guidance of Father Dhos. Speaking in Vietnamese, Father Nguyen also thanked his family and the Catholic community in Hong Kong for their unwavering support and fraternal welcome.
Father Dhos acknowledged the sacrifices made by the families of the newly ordained and extended thanks to Cardinal Stephen, Cardinal Zen, Father Kennedy, and Divine Word Missionaries from Taiwan and Vietnam. He emphasised the significance of the ordination coinciding with the 150th anniversary of the SVD’s founding, celebrated this year under the theme, “Witnessing the Light from Everywhere to Everyone.”
“These two men left their homeland to serve in Hong Kong and South Korea, embracing new cultures while carrying out the mission of evangelisation. Their journey embodies our congregation’s call to bring Christ’s light to all corners of the world,” Father Dhos said, urging the faithful to keep the new priests in their prayers.
Father Dao and Father Nguyen were ordained as deacons on 8 September 2024, by Cardinal Stephen. Both completed their theological formation at the University of Saint Joseph in Macau, while gaining pastoral experience in parishes across Hong Kong
The liturgy concluded with a special prayer for the 150th anniversary of the Society of the Divine Word, invoking the Holy Spirit to continue guiding the congregation’s mission.
Cardinal Stephen then received blessings from the two newly-ordained.
Around 700 people attended the celebration, including family members, members of the local Vietnamese community, and parishioners from across Hong Kong.
Maria Nguyen Thi Bich Nga, mother of Father Dao, who travelled from Phu Yen, Vietnam, said she felt profoundly blessed and proud of her son’s vocation. Beatrice Wong, parish council president of Holy Family Church, Choi Hung, expressed her hope that the newly ordained would lead many to Christ, guided by the Holy Spirit. Anna Vu Thi Huong, a parishioner at St. Joseph’s Church, Kowloon Bay, expressed her joy and said she looked forward to Father Dao celebrating Vietnamese-language Masses in the community.
Father Dao and Father Nguyen were ordained as deacons on 8 September 2024, by Cardinal Stephen. Both completed their theological formation at the University of Saint Joseph in Macau, while gaining pastoral experience in parishes across Hong Kong.
Following the ordination, Father Dao celebrated his first Mass at Holy Family Church, Choi Hung, while Father Nguyen presided at his first Eucharist at the Church of the Visitation in Tung Chung.
