HONG KONG (SE): “The Spanish people brought the Catholic faith to the Philippines 500 years ago. Now missionaries and migrant workers leave the country to share their faith with the local communities where they live. We say yes to this mission,” said Divine Word Father Jay Flandez, chaplain to Filipinos in Hong Kong.
To mark the 500th anniversary of the arrival of Christianity in the Philippines, the Filipino chaplaincy posted a video on its Facebook page in which its Migrant Lay Missionary Saturday Group danced to the song, “We Give Our Yes,” by Jaime Rivera, which is the official mission song composed by Father Carlo Magno Marcelo from the Archdiocese of Manila.
The year-long celebration formally began on April 4, Easter Sunday, and is scheduled to end on 22 April 2022, to coincide with the second National Mission Congress in Cebu City.
In the video, 11 members of the group danced at the Trappist Monestry Pier in yellow t-shirts.
According to Father Flandez, the Saturday group thought of filming the video in different churches in Hong Kong but it abandoned the plan to keep in line with social distancing measures put in place due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The video was filmed by Ernie Basilio, who recorded the dance using a drone-mounted camera circling the pier, and was edited by Jayr Mariano.
Tita Borgoños, one of the dancers, said she felt happy and was excited while filming the video. She said “Yes” to her mission to spread the Good News as it could help people. Before the pandemic, the group often visited parks, talked to the overseas workers there and invited them to go to church. While they could be rejected at times, they would often encounter people, especially those in Hong Kong for the first time, who needed a listening ear and Church support.
The chaplaincy has also organised online formation talks every Tuesday at 9.00pm via its Facebook page to celebrate the anniversary. The talks are conducted in Tagalog and English.
On May 25, guest speaker, Divine Word Father Alfredo Rollon, spoke on the theme, Mary, Mother of Migrants, to strengthen the faith of migrants amid their trials. On June 1, Father Ben Beltran discussed the relationship between creation and mission.
As we celebrate the 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines. The Chaplaincy to Filipino Migrants organises an on-line talk every Tuesday at 9.00pm. You can join us at:
https://www.Facebook.com/CFM-Gifted-to-give-101039001847033
According to Father Flandez, the chaplaincy was unable to organise any big gatherings to mark the occasion due to the social gathering limitations of the pandemic, so it hopes to bring encouragement to the Filipinos in Hong Kong through virtual talks and other formation activities.
