HONG KONG (SE): Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Ha Chi-shing encouraged migrant workers to spread the word of God to people around them when he celebrated a Mass for vocations at St. Joseph’s Church, Garden Road, on July 1. The Mass was concelebrated by parish priest, Father Joseph Tan Leitao, assistant parish priest, Father Paul Chen Zhongxue, Father Joseph Houston, and Father Paul Meng Weijun.
The Mass was part of a programme, which included a recital of the Rosary, a choir performance and testimony from community members and Father Meng.
In his homily, Bishop Ha reminded those present that our dreams have to be united with God’s dreams, otherwise they cannot be realised. Quoting the gospel in which Jesus’s heart was moved when he remarked that the crowds were like sheep without a shepherd (Matthew 9:36), the bishop encouraged people to pray not only for more vocations, but also for more devoted religious people who served with a heart.
“Today in a vocation Mass, let’s not only pray for more labourers but pray for more priests to the Lord. Devoted priests, devoted sisters devoted brothers—that is the dream of Jesus. He would like his priests, his religious sisters, his deacons to show pity to the sheep with a moved heart,” he said.
He also encouraged the community members in colourful uniforms not to forget that they are also shepherds, “You are also the shepherds to your brothers and sisters, your family, among your friends, the family you are working for because you are responsible for bringing the gospel to them,” he said.
At the end of the Mass, Father Tan said laypeople have different vocations. He said many overseas Filipino workers used not to go to church in the Philippines but in Hong Kong, they go to church to serve God every Sunday and each of them has their own experience to share. He believes this is already a sign that overseas Filipino workers are called to spread the word of God in the city.
After the Mass, Father Meng, a Divine Word priest ordained at St. Joseph’s church on May 1 this year, recounted his determination to be a priest at seven-years-old. He recalled that his grandparents as well as his parents were devoted Catholics who used to wake him up at 5.00am for Mass on Sundays. He later became an altar boy. When the priest extended his hands to bless the people, he felt a calling from God. When he told his father about his wish to join the seminary, his father challenged him to write a letter with his blood to confirm this, which he did.
‘Today in a vocation Mass, let’s not only pray for more labourers but pray for more priests to the Lord. Devoted priests, devoted sisters devoted brothers—that is the dream of Jesus. He would like his priests, his religious sisters, his deacons to show pity to the sheep with a moved heart’
Bishop Ha
The 32-year-old priest was born in 1988 in Taiyuan, Shanxi province. He joined the Society of Divine Word in 2009. After his priestly ordination, he became an assistant parish priest at Rosary Church, Tsim Sha Tsui.
Community members then spoke about how the Church has helped them through the ups and downs in their lives.
Jomelie Basa, of the Sower’s Charismatic Community, said that she needed to work overseas as her family was poor. She arrived in Hong Kong in 2003 and, as a first-timer, she had to overcome many problems such as language and eating habits. She thanked the parish for helping her make her way through the trials in Hong Kong.
Lilibeth Abaya, of the Apostleship of Prayer, said that when her son passed away, the parish reminded her that God is with her always.
St. Joseph’s parish began to serve the Cantonese-speaking community in 2019 and it recently formed a Chinese choir. Before the Mass, Bishop Ha blessed an organ which the choir uses in singing its preferred traditional, solemn hymns.
It is the first Chinese choir in the parish since it was built 150 years ago. The Mass in Cantonese is celebrated every Saturday at 4.30 pm.
