HONG KONG (KKP/SE): Parents with their children, religious and laypeople recited the rosary along the streets in Aberdeen on 26 December 2022 during a walk for vocations themed, Family, the cradle of vocations.
The Diocesan Vocation Commission and the Pastoral Commission for Marriage and the Family co-organised the walk to show that vocations have much to do with family support.
Bishop Stephen Chow Sau-yan, SJ, and vicar general, Father Paul Kam Po-wai, chairperson of the Diocesan Vocation Commission, joined the participants who walked from St. Peter’s Church, Aberdeen, to the Holy Spirit Seminary at Welfare Road, Wong Chuk Hang.
Before the walk began, Father Kam prayed that the Holy Spirit and the Blessed Virgin Mary, the highest example of faith, inspire more people to follow their vocation.
Father Kam told the Kung Kao Po that even though most families in Hong Kong are in mixed faith marriages, they can take up the mission of formation together with mutual respect and acceptance of the faith of the other half. He suggested that family Sunday school could be promoted in parishes where parents and children receive faith formation together.
Father Kam told the Kung Kao Po that even though most families in Hong Kong are in mixed faith marriages, they can take up the mission of formation together with mutual respect and acceptance of the faith of the other half
Kevin Lai Yu-ching, executive secretary of the marriage commission, pointed out that vocations are inseparable from the family and that many vocations were first established in the family. He said that the “catechumenate of marriage” should be promoted, so that men and women can have good formation before they enter into married life and be in a better position to nurture the faith of the next generation.
Wong Ho Yan, a volunteer with the marriage commission, joined the walk with her husband and three children. She told the Kung Kao Po that family support is required and that parents need to be open to giving their children more opportunities to understand and think about vocations.
The walk ended with a Mass celebrated at the Holy Spirit Seminary. At the beginning of the liturgy, Father Kam thanked all who contributed to the event, including the Diocesan Audio Visual Centre and seminarians who guided people around the seminary.
As the day fell on the feast of St. Stephen, Father Kam led a felicitation song for Bishop Chow, wishing him a happy feast day.
In his homily, referring to the second reading of the day about the martyrdom of St. Stephen, Bishop Chow said that as people living out the gospel, we need the wisdom to respond to the challenges we face in our daily lives, which were more or less similar to that experienced by the saint.
…referring to the second reading of the day about the martyrdom of St. Stephen, Bishop Chow said that as people living out the gospel, we need the wisdom to respond to the challenges we face in our daily lives, which were more or less similar to that experienced by the saint
The bishop reminded people of the two virtues of St. Stephen: courage and love for enemies. He emphasised that courage is derived from the wisdom given by the Holy Spirit. He also talked about the life of Father Matteo Ricci, who evangelised the Chinese people with love, understanding and sacrifices even though they initially ignored him.
“Before trials, let’s listen to the Holy Spirit… and see where the Holy Spirit will guide us,” he said, explaining that every person has a different direction in life, even in the same Church. “The same principles apply to vocations as well,” the bishop said.
Catholic families, young people and religious institutes all over Hong Kong responded to the vocation commission’s Advent appeal for self-guided pilgrimages to pray for vocations. For example, as early as the beginning of Advent, the young people of St. Benedict’s altar servers and the youth group walked from Kam Tin to Tuen Mun, completing a 24.6-kilometre pilgrimage.
Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Ha Chi-shing guided another walk to Brick Hill, Wong Chuk Hang, with laypeople, religious sisters and seminarians on December 18.
