Deacon Simon Chan
During their monthly meeting in March, the permanent deacons of the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong shared their experiences performing acts of charity while under Covid-19 coronavirus restrictions wherever they were called. This including nine parishes, Hong Kong International Airport, the prison chaplaincy, working with Caritas-Hong Kong, the Catholic Commission for Labour Affairs, the Diocesan Pastoral Commission for Marriage and the Family, and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, as wells as going into neighbourhoods with parishioners to distribute face masks, sanitisers and other items to janitors as well as the needy and delivering relief to the unemployed. They also visited the homeless as well as the quarantined to bring them food and consolation.
Deacon Edwin Ng Wing-hung told the Kung Kao Po on April 3 that works of mercy are an essential diaconal ministry. Given the Covid-19 social distancing and hygiene restrictions, deacons need to work more closely with other Church groups to help the needy weather the pandemic.
“Caritas-Hong Kong and the other diocesan commissions have been serving the needy all along. Working with them allows us to discern more clearly the most disadvantaged in the community,” Deacon Ng said, noting that many marginalised groups, such as asylum seekers and McRefugees—the homeless who spend their nights in 24-hour fast food chains—have been ignored. Deacons lend them a helping hand, taking care of their material as well as mental needs.
Deacon Ng, who is a prison chaplain working for the Correctional Services Department, said that all volunteer visits have been suspended. Together with their spiritual directors, the volunteers have switched to writing the inmates compassionate letters. Chaplains can still visit in case of emergency.
Previously, Pope Francis donated US$100,000 ($776,920) to the diocese to support needy families and people affected by the pandemic (Sunday Examiner, March 15). The fund has been channelled through parishes, the Catholic Commission for Labour Affairs and Caritas-Hong Kong to those in need.
Francis Tang, a diaconate candidate working at Mother of Good Counsel Church in San Po Kong, told the Kung Kao Po on March 30 that every parish was given $10,000 to subsidise the needy. The parish works with Caritas Integrated Family Service Centre-Tung Tau, combining the fund with donations from parishioners to purchase rice and supermarket coupons to help 120 families. He said that many residents live in subdivided flats and rely on food banks which supply canned food only. Supermarket coupons allow them to enjoy fresh food.
Due recent restrictions, recently eased, limiting gatherings of people to four, 80 families took turns to collect the subsidies from the Caritas Centre in March. The rest obtained theirs in mid-April.
Tang added, “Parishioners have been very enthusiastic. Early in March, they came together in church, masks on faces and gloves in hands, to wrap up relief items with greeting cards. Others take an active interest in the needs of neighbours. At the end of March, Legionaries of Mary visited the elderly and brought them facial masks and sanitisers.”
