I am just an ordinary person, a sinner like any other. I have gained much spiritually from getting involved more actively with the Cantonese-speaking Catholics in Cambridge since mid-January,” said Dominic Chung Kiu-keung, a key volunteer who helped organise the first monthly Cantonese Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes parish in Sawston in April. The monthly Mass has been celebrated by Vietnamese Canon Hoan Minh Nguyen, who put much effort into learning Cantonese pronunciations and is well-loved and appreciated by the community.
Chung has been in Cambridge since 1969. He observed that in the early 1970s, immigrants from Hong Kong were mostly engaged in the hospitality business. There have also been visiting scholars and students from Hong Kong coming to the Catholic Churches in Cambridge throughout the years. The latest settlers from Hong Kong are well-educated, predominantly middle class and aged between the late thirties to early fifties.
He knew that immigrants, no matter where they came from, experienced several challenges in adapting to new surroundings, work, studying, and even the cold and damp weather in the United Kingdom. He said he could never claim to have been that strong in faith in the past five decades, especially during the downturns.
“When my will is weak, and my flesh struck, that is when a moment or two in a quiet corner of a church would help. You may call it prayer or meditation,” he said. “Spending time in places of pilgrimage in England and Europe could also help.”
While seeing an increasing number of new settlers at the beginning of this year, he thought they might need a place to gather after regular Masses. He thought they might require support from one another. He discussed the issue of integrating the Cantonese-speaking community into the parish with various priests of the parish and came across Canon Nguyen of Our Lady of Lourdes parish in Sawston. He had experience in celebrating Mass in a foreign language. He uses phonetic symbols to learn the pronunciation of Portuguese and the Polish language.
When my will is weak, and my flesh struck, that is when a moment or two in a quiet corner of a church would help. You may call it prayer or meditation,” he said. “Spending time in places of pilgrimage in England and Europe could also help
Chung invited Father Nguyen to celebrate a Mass in Cantonese for people from Hong Kong, which he agreed to after some gentle persuasion. After three weeks and a half of learning the Mass liturgy in phonetics, on April 7, Canon celebrated his first Cantonese Mass! The priest’s efforts touched the participants, around 60 of them, of his first Cantonese Mass. (Sunday Examiner, May 29)
Chung experienced genuine happiness after organising the first Mass. Before this, he would describe himself as a “Sunday Catholic.” But afterwards, he wanted to do something more for people coming from Hong Kong like him. He was thankful to Canon Eugene Harkness of Our Lady and the English Martyrs Parish, as well as Canon Nguyen and other key volunteers who helped to organise the Mass and other activities for Cantonese-speaking people.
According to him, the community congregating in Our Lady of Lourdes parish is getting stronger. Since September 10, some Cantonese Catholics have received the sacrament of reconciliation from Canon Nguyen with the help of a booklet in Cantonese and English. Furthermore, a newly ordained permanent deacon, Gianluca Savini, is now regularly serving at the Cantonese Mass, and he reads the Gospel in Cantonese too. The number of Mass attendees has grown to an average of 90.
Our Lady and the English Martyrs Parish is also responding to the need of Cantonese-speaking families to promote the culture of integration. There are at least five Cantonese-speaking lectors at normal English Mass in the Parish and three Cantonese-speaking altar servers. During the 4.30 pm service on Sunday, the choir began singing Kyrie, Sanctus, or Agnus Dei in Cantonese. Readers usually read in Cantonese at this Sunday Mass. Chung said he is very grateful for all the effort and work of those involved in this range of activities.
The Cantonese-speaking community celebrates Mass at Our Lady and the English Martyrs Parish on major feast days or festivals. A celebration was held on July 9 on the feast of Chinese Martyrs. A Chinese New Year celebration is also being planned in the large historical Gothic church in southeast Cambridge.
“There is so much more that could be done. However, we must pray fervently for the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit,” he said.
Canon Nguyen has recently acquired a Chinese name 康銘恩 to show his commitment to the Cantonese-speaking community. Nevertheless, though the Cantonese-speaking community regard Canon Nguyen as a member of their community, there is a continuing desire among Hong Kong people in Cambridge for a priest who can celebrate Mass in their mother tongue, with a fairly deep connection to Hong Kong and a solid knowledge of Cantonese liturgy and music. So they were delighted by the visit of Father Lawrence Lee, diocesan chancellor, on September 28 and 29. He celebrated a Mass in Cantonese and then in English at Our Lady of Lourdes parish.
The Cantonese-speaking community celebrates Mass at Our Lady and the English Martyrs Parish on major feast days or festivals. A celebration was held on July 9 on the feast of Chinese Martyrs. A Chinese New Year celebration is also being planned in the large historical Gothic church in southeast Cambridge
The community also felt empowered by the visit on October 12 and 15 by Francis Ching Ming-chung of Toronto, Canada, who came to celebrate Masses in Cantonese and conducted exposition of and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, healing prayers and held talks for them, reminding them to overcome the trials in life through remembering their roots in God, the Church and their family no matter where they settle in. He led a day pilgrimage to Walsingham. He also met with the local, non-Cantonese Catholic young people. Throughout his visit, he was a guest of the Dominican Friars and lodged at the Blackfriars Monastery.
Chung came to Hong Kong to visit friends and family members in November. He also met diocesan priests who have given him valuable insight into what should be introduced into the Cambridge community. They showed an understanding of the various practical and spiritual challenges lay people from Hong Kong emigrating to the United Kingdom face. While the efforts of the Cambridge community to organise a Cantonese Mass are greatly appreciated, they are encouraged to explore the possibility of organising small group prayer meetings, Bible study and meditation sessions in their mother tongue to help one another further and to strengthen their Catholic Faith.
“I shall take away with me the encouragement and guidance of their presence and reaffirm my resolve to continue my involvement in the faith journey of migrants,” he said. “I am particularly interested in consulting with my fellow Catholics in Cambridge to reinvigorate their efforts,” he said.
As the elder brother of Sister Mary Lucy Chung, osf, he thinks it is God’s grace to have a religious sister and educator in his family, and while he is living overseas, her well-being and ministries are always in his prayers.
