On October 11, around 100 young people gathered at Tak Sun Secondary School for the annual HK Diocesan English Youth [HKDEY] event, Radiate 2025. Participants from 20 different parishes and English Catholic Communities came together to celebrate faith and fellowship, inspired by four remarkable companion saints: Pope St. John Paul II, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, St. Pier Giorgio Frassati, and St. Carlo Acutis.
Beginning with prayer and connection
The day opened with a peaceful prayer, grounding everyone in gratitude and inviting them to experience God’s love. This moment set the tone for the gathering, emphasising that God is our guiding light. The warm atmosphere fostered immediate fellowship through smiles and handshakes. Participants engaged in group games, learning valuable lessons in teamwork and trust while embracing the joy of community. The spirit of the saints resonated as attendees uplifted and supported one another.
Lunch and laughter: building community
As lunchtime approached, the hall became lively with laughter and engaging conversations. Sharing meals allowed participants to form new friendships and deepen existing bonds, symbolising love and togetherness by illustrating how God’s love flourishes through unity.
Workshops: chastity, love, and forgiveness
The afternoon featured two inspiring workshops led by passionate presenters.
• Mena Liu, from Christ Youth Action [CYA], spoke about chastity, inviting participants to view it as God’s authentic love to us. Her heartfelt testimony resonated, particularly in a world where the true meaning of love can be easily misunderstood.
• Jennifer Wu, from Alpha, facilitated a discussion on love and forgiveness, encouraging attendees to reflect on their personal journeys. She emphasised evangelisation and being a light to other people, especially in this Jubilee Year of Hope.
These workshops provided moments of growth and shared spirituality.
Participants engaged in group games, learning valuable lessons in teamwork and trust while embracing the joy of community. The spirit of the saints resonated as attendees uplifted and supported one another
Eucharistic adoration and Mass: encountering God
The conclusion of Radiate 2025 was marked by Eucharistic adoration and Mass. Led by Father Dominique Mukonda, of the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and other dedicated priests, Guadalupe Father Tito Lopez Martin, and Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions priests, Father Fabio Favata and Father Alessandro Canali. This sacred moment allowed participants to experience God deeply.
Moments of quiet adoration with beautiful live band music and hymns reminded everyone that God’s presence is central to their lives. Through his love, they found the strength to radiate hope and light to people beyond their communities.
Radiating hope and joy
The spirit of Radiate thrived throughout the day, turning hope and joy into tangible experiences for all involved. Young people laughed, prayed, learned, and worshipped together, creating lasting memories.
Our unique blind box souvenir, containing a prayer card of one of the patron saints and a bandana with representations of the nine pilgrimage parishes in Hong Kong, brought so much joy and laughter to the participants! Blind boxes [HK$60 x 1 pc] and prayer cards [HK$ 10 x 1 pc] are still on sale—more details can be found on our Instagram page: @hongkong.dey!
The spirit of Radiate thrived throughout the day, turning hope and joy into tangible experiences for all involved. Young people laughed, prayed, learned, and worshipped together, creating lasting memories
Voices from the Event
“Radiate was a very cool experience. It made me meet new people and made me want to be more involved with God, Maria Caroline, a secondary school student from Tung Chung Visitation Parish, said.
“I loved the games that we had and the gifts that we got at the end! Kind of like a K-pop album unboxing :D! The bandana and the prayer card were beautiful, and the boxes too! Everyone was optimistic and positive!” she said, adding, “Loved it so much and overall, it was very nice.”
Radiate 2025 was a spiritually enriching event filled with love, laughter, and meaningful connections. The day began with a beautiful praise and worship session that helped us all open our hearts to God. The games, dancing, and workshops were truly amazing, bringing so much fun and joy to everyone involved,” Chelsea, a young adult and parishioner at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, observed.
“The event underscored the importance of community, with each person contributing to the collective good. A heartfelt thank you to the core team for making it such a memorable and fruitful experience. Radiate 2025 was a testament to the power of unity and faith, inspiring participants to continue shining their light in the world,” she said.
“Radiate 2025, with every element of its programme, was a beautiful celebration of the Catholic faith. Accompanied by radiating holiness and joyful saints—St. JPII, St. Therese of the Child Jesus, St. Pierre Giorgio Frassatti, and St. Carlo Acutis—we shared our faith, talents, and friendship,” Sister Weronika, SSpS, St Joseph’s Church–Garden Road, said.
The event underscored the importance of community, with each person contributing to the collective good
Chelsea
I was touched and inspired by two workshops—their topics, content, and the way they were presented. Mena Liu spoke about the call to chastity with great clarity and depth. God’s love and care shone through her and the message she delivered: live in chastity and glow!
Thanks to Jennifer Wu’s explanation of John 1:35-42, I saw with a new clarity Jesus’s model of evangelisation: Belong, Believe, Behave. Jesus’ “Come & See” was extended to “Come, See & Invite”.
We were prompted to be attentive to people around us who are often just waiting to be invited and encouraged: Invite them!
From the first song, “You keep hope alive”, till the “Jubilee Hymn” at the end of the day, we were being equipped to make the flame of hope burn high and bright through Jesus’ presence in us.
We ended the day with the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament led by Father Canali, and the celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the Eucharist presided over by Father Mukonda.
Jesus promised to be with those who gathered in his name [Matthew 18:20]. His presence was real and palpable both in the Sacraments and in every person who joined the event. We were renewed by this special day and sent with the mission: RADIATE!
Conclusion
Spes non confundit is Latin for “hope does not disappoint” [Romans 5:5], it is also the theme of Jubilee 2025.
Our event—Radiate 2025—was an invitation to rediscover and radiate the unshakeable hope found in Jesus Christ, reminding us of being a light of hope to the world, imitating our patron saints, especially the newly canonised ones, to witness and radiate hope.
It was a powerful testament to what unfolds when young people come together in faith by accompanying and encouraging one another. — HKDEY
