HONG KONG (SE): “When we take one step forward to help the needy around us, such as those in our community, God will do his work,” said vicar general, Father Paul Kam Po-wai, at the end of a Mass marking World Day of the Poor organised by the Hong Kong Catholic Commission for Labour Affairs.
Father Kam shared that while he served as a missionary in Africa, he saw that even very low-income families could still survive because of the sharing of neighbours. “If we are willing to share, our lives are more meaningful… Sharing is not about material things but about caring out of love.” He said the poor work very hard to earn a living. However, due to various exploitations, they do not have a chance to think about how to improve their lives.
“Let’s think if we have journeyed with the poor or prayed for them… let’s listen to the cries of the poor, encourage one another and reflect together on what we can do,” he said.
During the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy in 2016, Pope Francis declared the 33rd Sunday of the following year to be the World Day of the Poor, and the events this year, held on November 13, marked its sixth anniversary.
The Labour Commission used to run an annual poverty experience programme to mark the day. This year, to show what can be done during the pandemic for the poor with limited resources, the commission invited two groups to share their experiences. The Little Sheep Fold Community Service Centre and MercyHK shared about their services in the past months for the poorest.
When we take one step forward to help the needy around us, such as those in our community, God will do his work
Father Kam
MercyHK was founded by the Oblate Father John Wotherspoon, and registered in 2020 as a charitable organisation. Deacon Stephen Kwok Ping-fai of Mother of Christ Church, Sheung Shui, with the support of the Diocesan Pastoral Centre for Workers in the New Territories, set up the Little Sheep Fold Community Service Centre.
Eddie Chan Chi-kong, director of MercyHK 2020 Limited, shared that the group is totally funded by donations without government subsidies to allow more flexibility and efficiency. “It has limited resources, but unlimited power due to the care of God,” he said, adding that if it finds a target to serve, support and donations will flow in if it is the will of God.
As part of its efforts to help the least and the lost, the organisation has distributed meals and materials for the needy. It has also provided housing for the homeless in Yau Ma Tei, ethnic minorities, rehabilitated people, and asylum seekers. This year, it offered places for around 150 Covid-19-infected domestic workers to find shelter. It has also provided funeral assistance to people who could not afford it for their family or friends.
Father Wotherspoon shared that some former clients have become volunteers. He especially thanked the staff of the centre and volunteers who helped infected foreign domestic workers around the clock and found them shelter at the beginning of this year.
The priest said it was essential to follow Pope Francis’ advice in the Jubilee Year of Mercy, and direct our attention and actions on the right path. Rather than simply talking about helping the poor, he called on the people to act. He stressed that prayers and actions are both critical.
Father Wotherspoon shared that some former clients have become volunteers. He especially thanked the staff of the centre and volunteers who helped infected foreign domestic workers around the clock and found them shelter at the beginning of this year
He said a simple lifestyle could help us show empathy for the poor. He suggested that simple celebrations should be held on parish feast days without expensive meals in grand restaurants. “We can thus save some money to help the poor,” Father Wotherspoon said.
Deacon Kwok noted that at the beginning of 2020, he and the Diocesan Pastoral Centre for Workers in Sheung Shui had noticed many workers were underemployed and in financial straits, so they organised a trial food subsidy project. The consistent financial support, volunteers and resources made it possible for the project to keep running.
From early 2020 to May 2021, the project was held on 60 weekends, supporting more than 30,000 people from more than 9,000 households. The deacon said figures might not be critical, but what is important is that the project not only gave out food but also spiritual strength, comfort and joy to both benefactors and volunteers.
According to the deacon, as people living nearby kept coming, chatting and developing close friendships with parishioners, volunteers discovered a variety of problems that customers faced daily. So he and the pastoral centre found it necessary to set up a centre to better address their daily life issues on behalf of the parish.
At present, besides giving out food packages for the poor, the centre provides one-to-one tutorial services to students from low-income families, those with learning difficulties or for ethnic minorities. Additionally, they offer Bible classes for children. The deacon said the centre has successfully brought parishioners together to help.
Real spiritual poverty is an emptying of one’s heart so that our heart is only for God and the people loved by God,
Father Wan
Dorothy Lee Ching-man, secretary general of the labour commission, hopes the sharing can inspire people to think of what to do in their own parishes. “It is necessary to spread a strong faith even among people within the Church, for we live in an environment lacking in faith,” she said.
Lee shared that services for the marginalised in many parishes are a good way to build up a community. This is because parishioners look forward to offering services that renew their spirituality.
Elizabeth But Ngan-ping, supervisor of the Diocesan Pastoral Centre for Workers in Kowloon, shared that the suffering of ethnic minorities is usually overlooked, especially during economic downturns. In 2014, she began delivering services to these communities, especially to the young and newly arrived. The centre is now offering job referrals, tutorial classes for children of ethnic minorities and assistance with service applications. The services welcomed donations and encouraged those present to spread messages about the needs of ethnic minorities.
Father Timothy Wan Kwok-kwong explained how Pope Francis’ concern for the poor is about giving and sharing the love of Jesus with everyone, and no one should be forgotten. He urged people to show concern for the poor who suffer from spiritual poverty.
“Real spiritual poverty is an emptying of one’s heart so that our heart is only for God and the people loved by God,” he said. He reminded people that the two projects being shared that day showed that services for the poor and evangelisation can still be done during the pandemic, the emigration wave causing a shortage of workforce in parishes.
A parishioner from St. John the Baptist Parish in Kwun Tong, Cynthia Pon, said she was inspired after hearing how the two groups started their projects. Because Kwun Tong is undergoing urban renewal, she believes that the poor in the area, such as the elderly, the homeless, and the street cleaners, are likely to be left behind.
