HONG KONG (SE): Maryknoll Father Corbelli set up the Mission Team of St. Jude’s Church, North Point, which actively helps to sell the Sunday Examiner every week, a month after he was appointed assistant parish priest and became the spiritual adviser to the Englishspeaking community on 1 September 2006.
For the past 15 years, it has been actively involved in the evangelisation mission by selling the paper to community members and other parishioners, as well as distributing it to Filipinos outside the church.
The group is one of 21 groups of the English-speaking community in the parish. It was assigned the task of selling the diocesan weekly to parishioners before and after the English Masses at noon and at 5.00pm.
Mildred Conise, the first coordinator of the Mission Team recalled that she was invited by Father Corbelli to help to set up the group to help increase the sales of diocesan English weekly and to provide a tool for evangelisation. “Being the first coordinator, my wish was to fulfill this goal. I needed to be obedient to the mission entrusted, and work with sincerity, perseverance, cheerfulness and humility. These are all the fruits of the Spirit,” she said.
At first the parish sold 30 copies of the paper each week and these were placed at the information desk for those wishing obtain a copy. The Mission Team, began with seven members, then decided to spread the good news by trying to increase the sales of the paper. An additional 120 copies were ordered.
Rather than place the copies at the information desk for people to buy, a direct approach was taken with members standing at the entrance of the church and offering a copy for those interested in buying one. Sales of the Sunday Examiner immediately increased. All copies were sold out each week.
Before the Covid-19 coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, members used to order an extra of 100 copies on the second Sunday every month and went out to the local parks and gave them to the Filipinos they met there. The response was favourable as the people were happy to receive a free copy. Leaflets explaining the Catholic Church were also distributed along with the newspapers. However, the activity was stopped due to the pandemic.
Joy Rufino, one of the leaders of the English-speaking community, recounted that during the period when Mass was suspended, the copies ordered were decreased to 60 due to the lack of people coming to the church. However, selling 150 copies was not a problem once Mass resumed due to the support of members.
For example, the team might go to the rooms on the fourth floor of the church after the Mass and sell to those who arrived late. “Some members have a habit of buying and make advanced payment,” she said.
Rufino is also responsible for the editorial team, which writes regular news about the parish for the Sunday Examiner.
Edna Biguasen, a long-time member, who is called “best sales lady” by the group, said she is happy with the increase of copies they sell weekly. She said selling the paper gives her a good chance to reach out to others by telling them about the contents of the newspaper, at the same time she is exercising her sales skill of gentle persuasion. She hopes that the group’s support of the paper will continue even after she leaves Hong Kong.
Tessie Solibio, the current coordinator of the group, said that at present, 14 members are doing their best to help and to accomplish their mission as members of the community and the family of God.
• Joy Rufino
