HONG KONG (KKP/Fides): “Those awaiting baptism will be baptised and receive the living water [Christ]. What was taught by the catechists and the Church in only the entry to faith,” Cardinal Stephen Chow S.J. told catechumens during the rite of scrutiny on March 8, part of their journey towards baptism, the Kung Kao Po reported on March 15.
Some 2,500 baptisms will be administered in the Diocese of Hong Kong at Easter—1,600 adults and 900 infants—with numbers similar to those recorded in 2025.
Many young people were drawn to the Catholic faith thanks to the living witness of the faithful whom they encountered in Catholic schools and parishes.
From March 8, the third Sunday of Lent, Cardinal Stephen began presiding over a series of rites of scrutiny for catechumens, celebrated in parishes across the diocese, Fides reported.
During the ceremony at Christ the King Church, Causeway Bay, the cardinal explained that “receiving baptism means welcoming the ‘living water’, which is Christ. It is only the beginning of the life of faith. You need to enter into a deeper relationship with the Church” in order to have a personal encounter with the Lord and to become “bearers of hope” through the Holy Spirit and the grace of faith.
Furthermore, Cardinal Stephen added, “In order to welcome the ‘living water’ into your lives, you also need the guidance of the Holy Spirit, so that you may enter into the love of the Holy Trinity and experience God’s revelation through the liturgy and the sacraments… You cannot simply rely on the notes you took during catechism; you are called to communicate with the Lord in prayer and to live in communion and unity within the Church.”
The catechumens were presented to the cardinal by their catechists and declared their conversion. Accompanied by their godparents, they received the anointing.
Some shared the experience of their encounter with faith in Christ. Tam Shun-yiu, baptised last year, is now deputy head of youth ministry at St. Jude parish and guides young people in the reading the gospel.
One catechumen, Lo Hoi-nok, a student at St. Anthony’s School, said his Christian vocation was inspired by the formation and pilgrimages organised by the school.
Chan Chua-tung, a catechumen at Saint Francis University, said she had asked to be baptised after coming across the university’s pastoral initiatives.
