In a pastoral journey marked by encounter, listening and blessings, Cardinal Stephen Chow, S.J., bishop of Hong Kong, visited Hong Kong Catholic communities in the United Kingdom in July, meeting families and young people, learning about their experiences of migration and faith, and bringing them the support and encouragement of the Church in Hong Kong.
The nine-day pastoral visit began on July 5 and included stops in Edinburgh, London, Cambridge, and Birmingham.
“The purpose of this trip is to visit Hong Kong Catholics, encourage them, and let them know that the Diocese of Hong Kong holds them in our hearts,” Cardinal Stephen said. “I want to listen, understand, and learn more about them. The better I understand them, the better I will know how to pray for and accompany Hong Kong Catholics who have emigrated to the UK.”
The cardinal added, “Hong Kong Catholics are enthusiastic and eager to contribute. They hope to become involved in their local parishes and to use their gifts and talents to serve. While actively participating in parish life, they also hope to preserve their identity as Hong Kong people.”
The visit began in Edinburgh on the morning of Sunday, July 5, where Cardinal Stephen celebrated a Cantonese Mass at the Sacred Heart Church that same afternoon followed by a tea gathering.
The following morning, he attended a sharing session with members of the Hong Kong Catholic community. He encouraged them to make good use of the new opportunities and possibilities that life after migration offers, to let go of the unhappy experiences—if any—that troubled them in the past, and to come together in their new environment to build a better future. Later that afternoon, he visited three homes of those who moved to Edinburgh over the last few years.
After Edinburgh, Cardinal Stephen travelled to London where, on the afternoon of July 8, he attended a sharing session at the Church of Notre Dame de France. He listened to representatives of community groups, mainly from Greater London, spoke about their activities, experiences, and pastoral needs.
Afterward, he heard confessions before celebrating Mass with nearly 200 in attendance.
In his homily, the cardinal spoke about the importance of maintaining unity in diversity within the community. He noted that differences are not necessarily a bad thing. When managed constructively, the tensions arising from diversity can help relationships within the community grow, fostering greater mutual understanding and deeper communion among its members.
Cardinal Stephen then visited Archbishop’s House in the Diocese of Westminster on July 9, and met with Auxiliary Bishop Paul McAleenan, who is also the Lead Bishop for Migrants and Refugee of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales.
“Meeting Bishop Paul gave us the opportunity for a more in-depth exchange of views. I am grateful for his concern for migration issues and for his pastoral care of Hong Kong people who have settled here,” the cardinal said.
After London, he travelled to Cambridge. On July 10, together with a group of Hong Kong Catholics, he visited Fisher House, the Catholic Chaplaincy to the University of Cambridge, where they were received by the chaplain, Father Paul Keane. The house was named after a famous English martyr, St. John Fisher. Arrangements were also made for visits to Queens’ College and St John’s College, where Anglican pastors serving the two colleges shared the historical background and interesting anecdotes about their institutions, such as the illustrious biblical scholar, Desiderius Erasmus who conducted his biblical study and taught at Queens’ College.
We have the consent of the individuals in the photos for possible publication
We have the consent of the individuals in the photos for possible publication
The following day, Cardinal Stephen held a dialogue session with young Hong Kong Catholics at the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption and the English Martyrs. He listened to their experiences of life in the UK and, during a question-and-answer session, introduced the Church’s vision of synodality. In the afternoon, he celebrated the Sacrament of Reconciliation and celebrated Mass.
At a tea gathering afterward, Hong Kong Catholics sang “From Age to Youth,” the theme song of the Diocese of Hong Kong’s 80th anniversary. Topics that arose during the “Conversation in the Spirit,” reflected on the beauty of mutual support and collaboration between young people and the elderly.
Reflecting on the visit, the cardinal said: “I encourage Hong Kong Catholics to continue building up their communities. Once they have settled down to some extent, they can begin to develop social and outreach services. They should not remain focused only on themselves but should also care for those outside their own communities. In this way, they will find the strength and purpose to continue moving forward.”
During his meetings and sharing sessions with the faithful, he noted the importance of catechetical formation and community formation. He said it is worth considering how the Church can better support Hong Kong Catholics in the UK so that they may receive faith formation that is more suited to their needs.
The cardinal expressed his gratitude to the local priests who have been willing to celebrate Mass in Cantonese. Some have even made the effort to learn a little Cantonese in order to preside at Mass. He also thanked Father Bruno Lepeu of the Paris Foreign Missions, who visited Hong Kong Catholics in the UK more than two years ago and helped establish a faith community for those in Edinburgh.
Concerning his visit to the University of Cambridge, Cardinal Stephen observed the cooperation between Catholics and Anglicans and noted that it offers a beautiful witness to Christian unity. He also shared with them examples of collaboration between the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion in Hong Kong.
“This shows that, despite our differences, we can still accept one another. Even when divisions arise, we can continue striving to address and overcome them. This spirit of unity has much to teach and inspire us as Hong Kong people.”
He added that this witness of unity can serve as a valuable inspiration for the Hong Kong community.
The final stop of the visit was Birmingham on July 12, where Cardinal Chow stayed two days and one night. During his stay, he met with Archbishop Bernard Longley and Monsignor Daniel McHugh, the archdiocese’s lead priest for ethnic chaplaincies and pastoral care.
The cardinal expressed his gratitude to both men for their deep concern for Hong Kong Catholics, noting in particular Monsignor McHugh’s dedicated pastoral care for families in need through his involvement in many different initiatives.
The cardinal also heard quite a few confessions and celebrated Mass at St. Chad’s Cathedral and met with young people for a dialogue session on the following day before returning to Hong Kong that evening.
The encounters and experiences of the journey enabled Cardinal Stephen to gain a deeper appreciation of the rich ecclesial tradition of the Catholic Church in England. He found a creative tension that helped him to embrace and subsequently appreciate the Church’s many different expressions, as well as its diversity in unity. “Catholics who come from Hong Kong may not share the same traditional background,” he said, “but they can work together with members of the local Church and receive pastoral care. This is the true face of the Church.”
Cardinal Stephen was also touched to meet many familiar Hong Kong Catholics during the trip, including former students and former diocesan staff members. Many took the opportunity to greet him personally after the events and reconnect with him.
Deacon James Shin, the spiritual director of UK Hong Kong Catholic Migrants Pastoral Coordination Group [UKHKCC]—which was coordinated the pastoral visit—noted that a large proportion of Hong Kong people who came to the UK under the BNO visa scheme are approaching their fifth year of residence and have gradually become accustomed to life and culture in Britain.
However, many still identify as Hong Kong people and continue to cherish the culture, including a fondness for Hong Kong-style cuisine, which they often miss.
He pointed out that they have established faith-sharing communities in major cities across the UK, and there remains a need to strengthen connections among the different regional groups.
