HONG KONG (SE): Our Lady of Fatima Church, Cheung Chau, held a celebration in honour of the Holy Cross and Our Lady of Fatima on October 10 on the occasion of the anniversary of the Fatima Aparitions.
Despite the raising of the typhoon signal 8 warning on the previous day, faithful from different parishes gathered in the morning to pray 20 decades of the rosary together. The feast day Mass was celebrated by Father Dominic Chan Chi-ming, with parish priest, Father Josekutty Mathew concelebrating.
In his homily, Father Chan remarked that the 1917 Marian apparitions in Fatima, Portugal, called for repentance and the building of peace and that the is still important more than 100 years later. He also encouraged those present to renew their faith and think about how best to spread the gospel on the island to keep up with the rapid changes in society.
During a recollection in the afternoon, Father Chan reflected on the plan of the universal Church for parish renewal in the Instruction from the Vatican’s Congregation for the Clergy, The Pastoral Conversion of the Parish Community in the service of the Evangelising Mission of the Church.
Father Chan said that lay people need to be more involved in spreading the Good News through sharing of the Word of God, frequenting the sacraments and caring for one another. He said a parish is the home and the healing place for many as the faithful can face difficulties together through communication and encouragement. He added that parish services can better connect with the lives of others with more creativity.
The celebration ended with a Eucharistic benediction.
