HONG KONG (SE): St. Margaret Mary’s Church in Happy Valley commemorated its centenary with a series of jubilant events, including a carnival, a musical, and an overseas pilgrimage. On October 11, a Mass was celebrated by Cardinal Stephen Chow, S.J., bishop of Hong Kong, who expressed his gratitude for the church’s century-long testament to vitality and encouraged the parish to seek guidance from the Holy Spirit to inspire future services for the community.
Founded by priests from the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions, the church’s foundation stone was laid by Father Pietro de Maria on 3 February 1923, with the building being consecrated on 25 January 1925. It holds the distinction of being the first church in Asia dedicated to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque.
The Mass was concelebrated by John Cardinal Tong Hon; parish priest, Korean Missionary Society Father Andrew Kim; diocesan chancellor Father Lawrence Lee; vicars general Father Peter Choy and Father Joseph Chan; along with over ten other priests, including former parish priests Father John Baptist Kwan Kit-tong and Guadalupe Father Gabriel Altamirano Ortega, and assistant parish priests, Father Joseph Everson, Father Edward Hsueh, and Father Ignatius Lo.
A family for many
During the Mass, Cardinal Stephen shared that he was honoured to celebrate the centenary of the church where he grew up and was nurtured.
In his homily, the cardinal celebrated the rich heritage of the parish, emphasising its vitality and creativity within the diocese. He encouraged the community to utilise their resources responsibly in fulfilling their mission, underscoring that abundance comes with greater expectations. Drawing from biblical wisdom, the cardinal made a distinction between divine wisdom and worldly knowledge, urging parishioners to seek guidance from the Holy Spirit through shared experiences and reflection.
Founded by priests from the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions, the church’s foundation stone was laid by Father Pietro de Maria on 3 February 1923
Stressing that true faith requires a compassionate response to the marginalised—as emphasised in Pope Leo XIII’s recent encyclical, Dilexi te [I have loved you]—the cardinal called on parishioners to join forces to support the needy, framing their collective efforts as a meaningful testament to their faith throughout the century, and inviting them to embody hope for those in despair.
The ceremony included the sprinkling of holy water onto the congregation of some seven hundred people, commemorating baptism and encouraging attendees to embody humility and love. Twelve volumes of a handwritten Bible, crafted collectively by more than 400 parishioners over the past two years, along with the Chinese translation of the autobiography of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque were offered as well.
At the conclusion of the Mass, Father Kim expressed his sincere gratitude to the cardinals, former parish priests, and all the concelebrants, conveying his joy over the ceremony. He considers the parish his home and the parishioners his family, affirming the parish’s commitment to reaching out to the poor in response to Pope Leo’s encyclical.
Challenges and missions
The centenary festivities featured a variety of events, such as a carnival, music concerts, and an overseas pilgrimage group. A highlight of the celebration was a musical held at City Hall in July, inspired by historical documents of the parish and collected oral stories from its members.
Father Kim expressed his sincere gratitude to the cardinals, former parish priests, and all the concelebrants, conveying his joy over the ceremony
The celebrations also provided an opportunity to reflect on the challenges the church has faced and its mission for the future. Father Joseph Yim, parish priest from 1998 to 2004, mentioned in an interview on the parish’s YouTube channel that one difficulty was the high number of people signing up for baptism classes due to the parish’s prestigious location, necessitating nearly daily catechism classes to accommodate different schedules. He recalled his efforts to recruit parishioners who had completed catechist training to teach, and the shortage of manpower was addressed by enlisting volunteers to assist with discussions alongside the catechists.
Father Kim shared with the Sunday Examiner that this centenary year has led to various events uniting the parish community. He emphasised the importance of hard work and collaboration in fulfilling his mission as a parish priest, noting that he felt called by God, despite his initial struggles with Cantonese when he was assigned to the parish in 2019.
The parish priest voiced his strong agreement with Cardinal Stephen’s message, pointing out that the parish possesses many talents and abilities to reach out to those in need. He remarked that the parish has been providing charitable services as a manifestation of God’s love, and these initiatives will be further bolstered following the centenary celebrations.
