Missionary Childhood Association set up in St. Jerome’s parish

HONG KONG (SE): St. Jerome’s parish in Tin Shui Wai responded to the call of Pope Francis to celebrate the Extraordinary Missionary Month in October by initiating a pious association for the children of the parish in order to inculcate in them the spirit of evangelisation.  On October 1, the Feast day of St. Teresa of Child Jesus, the patron saint of the Missions, St. Jerome’s Missionary Childhood Association was started. 

Sister Sophia Rani PIME, a pastoral sister who serves in St. Jerome’s parish, realised that many children are deprived of their childhood naivety because their days are rigid and tightly scheduled with attending schools, tuitions and numerous co-curricular and extra-curricular activities. The children also become the first victims of undesirable family situations where arguments and break up are common.

Seeing their plights, Sister Rani wanted to be of help through building up their faith in God and help them find meaning and hope in life. The desire to initiate a pious association for children was nurtured for two years, but she waited for the appropriate time. She is convinced that on their path of following Jesus in their own little ways, the children would identify the real worth of being a child of God. 

When Pope Francis declared October 2019 to be an Extraordinary Missionary Month with the theme Baptised and sent, she realised that it was the opportune time to begin a Missionary Childhood Association (MCA) in the parish. She raised the matter of setting up an MCA in the pastoral team and obtained the support of Father Simon Li Chi-yeun, the parish priest.

The MCA was founded by Bishop Charles Forbin-Janson in 1843. Originally Bishop Forbin-Janson appealed to the children of France to reach out and help the children of the missions in the North America and China. He asked them to say a Hail Mary every day and give a small coin every month to help feed the children in the missions. The motto was “children helping children.” The French children took up this great work and from then on the work of missionary children has spread across the world. Today it is in 140 countries and helps make Jesus known to children all over the world.

St. Jerome’s Church is possibly the first parish in Hong Kong to initiate MCA. Most of the input materials are in English. Sister Rani with the help of four parishioners, Florence Yeung, Cecilia Ko, May Cheung and John Wu, got them translated into Chinese. 

“The God who inspired me also inspired them for this mission,” she explained. They worked for eight months to establish MCA in St. Jerome’s Church. Sister Rani has no doubt that God willed this as well so they could experience his guidance all along.

After several months of preparation, St. Jerome’s MCA ran the first formative gathering with parents and members on September 28. On October 1, this Association was officially set up. At the moment, there are 20 members of five to 14 years old. They choose St. Thérèse of Lisieux, one of the patron saints of missionaries to be their patron saint whose feast day falls on October 1 as well. By choosing the saint as their patron saint, they wish to learn her little ways to be little missionaries. 

To mark the opening of the MCA, the parish organised a prayer service, followed by a tea party. After a Mass celebrated by Father Li, missionaries came to share their stories. Divine Word Missionary Father Anthonius Reynolds Balubun and Father Nicolas De Francqueville of Paris Foreign Mission Society shared their missionary experiences. Father Paul Kam Po-wai, former chairperson of the Diocesan Youth Commission sent a video clip from Cambodia to encourage the teenagers. Sister Carmela Pamei pime and Cecilia Ho Wai-man, a lay missionary, also shared their missionary insights. 

Deacon Alex Kwok, missionary sisters from other religious orders and many parishioners extended their participation and support for the new missionary endeavour in the parish. St. Jerome’s MCA