HONG KONG (SE): “All of us are born with love and designed for love. Let us spread this message of love to those around us, especially to our next generation, so that more and more lives can return to eternity with God,” said Bishop Stephen Chow Sau Yan, sj, addressing over 12,500 participants of the Catholic School Teachers’ Day 2023 at AsiaWorld Arena, Asia World-Expo on Lantau Island, on May 25. 261 Catholic schools in Hong Kong participated in the one-day event organised by the diocese and the Catholic Education Office.
This year’s Teachers’ Day carried the theme, “Consecrate us in the truth, Your Word is truth” (John 17:17). It aimed at providing teachers of all Catholic schools in Hong Kong with an opportunity to revisit and highlight the vision, mission, and core values of Catholic education and to enhance solidarity among Catholic schools and all their teachers in God’s love, so that together they accomplish the mission of Catholic education.
The gathering opened with the National Anthem and a prayer led by auxiliary bishop Joseph Ha Chi-shing, ofm. Paul Chan Mo-po, the financial secretary of the Government of Hong Kong SAR, addressing the gathering, said that for him, education is to discover a student’s passion. “One of the important goals of education is to ignite students’ curiosity and interest in knowledge. Encourage them to explore their interests, to follow their dreams, and to move forward,” he said, adding that with passion, students will be able to enjoy the sense of accomplishment that comes from self-practice.
Bishop Chow, in his keynote address, explained how he understood the educational practitioners’ challenges from various sources, such as the trials after the social incident of 2019 and during the post-COVID pandemic, the brain drain and the shortage of students due to emigration, as well as the anxiety caused by the uncertain future. The complicated circumstances may remind educational practitioners to remember their early passions and desire for the field to help them overcome their hardships.
Developing on the theme of the event, “Your Word is the truth,” the bishop elaborated on the Word of God, which he described as a “long love letter from God to humanity.” He reminded the teachers that “all lives are created with God’s love and in God’s image, in the case of humanity. Hence, all lives have their dignity.” He explained further that everyone is redeemable and teachable, and we are called to be agents of hope; no one deserves to be ignored or maltreated, and we are called to be healers.
Bishop Chow stressed the importance of love and companionship for students. “If they know that we cherish and love them, they will accept our challenge, but if they do not feel that we understand or try to be with them, it will be very difficult,” he said.
The bishop said that failures are essential parts of education. According to him, many students from prestigious schools need psychological counselling. Many people want their children to be competitive, to “win at the starting line”, “But what if they fall down in the middle of the track?” he questioned. “Educate them so they can feel confident and even celebrate their failures. This will allow them to improve, reflect, and have a greater sense of empathy,” the bishop said.
A musical titled “Mission of Good Shepherd,” written and directed by Dr. Terence Sin Chun-tung was staged by 36 artists —students and teachers — from 19 schools.
Joseph Kung Kwong-pui, Episcopal Delegate for Education, in his response, commented on the musical and appreciated the production team and the artists for their painstaking efforts for the performance. Explaining the moral of the play, he said the musical reminds teachers to understand the interest of their students, like a shepherd who understands his flock. “Our job is to accompany our young people on their journeys and lead them to a good future. A good future does not necessarily mean earning much money, but a future that brings beautiful blessings. This is an important message,” he emphasised.
The event concluded with the bishop commissioning the teachers to “Walk along with the students to guide and nurture them to explore the mystery of life.” The participants renewed their pledge to cultivate an optimistic attitude towards life, to lead a self-giving and meaningful life.
