HONG KONG (SE/KKP): The Diocese of Hong Kong saw eight permanent deacons ordained at the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception, Caine Road, on June 17. They are Gamaliel Cheng, Paul Lui, Thomas Lam, Vincent Chan, Paul Wat, Francis Tang, Stephen Yau and Patrick Leung.
Bishop Stephen Chow Sau Yan, SJ, met the eight and their wives on June 2 at the Catholic Diocese Centre along with Father Dominic Chan Chi-ming, chairperson of the Diocesan Commission for the Permanent Diaconate.
Bishop Chow expressed deep appreciation for the candidates’ wives, who sacrificed a lot so their husbands could respond to their vocations. He encouraged them to be united and to support their husbands in prayer and assured them that the diocese would assist them should the deacons encounter any difficulties.
Likewise, the bishop encouraged the candidates to strengthen their spirituality, take good care of their wives, and serve the Church with humility and joy.
Cheng received pastoral training at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and the Hong Kong Catholic Commission for Labour Affairs. In an interview, he told the Kung Kao Po that he liked to visit grassroots people such as security guards and listen to their life stories.
Bishop Chow expressed deep appreciation for the candidates’ wives, who sacrificed a lot so their husbands could respond to their vocations. He encouraged them to be united and to support their husbands in prayer and assured them that the diocese would assist them should the deacons encounter any difficulties
Since he was 22-years-old, he has dedicated himself to serving a small faith community. He founded the Jesus’ Followers, an ecumenical group with several protestant brethren, in 2001. Six years later, he started a catering business to share the gospel as a Catholic employer. He began to pursue his vocation as a permanent deacon with his wife’s support after a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 2014. He has a son and a daughter.
Lui was assigned to St. Mary’s Parish, Hung Hom, five years ago for pastoral training and regularly visits prisoners and a nearby men’s hostel operated by Caritas-Hong Kong. He explained that the formation and the services helped him feel God’s presence in his daily life. He was born to a non-Catholic family. A Canossian, Sister Joanna Tsang, catechised him in 1985 when he was at university. He said he is grateful for what she taught him. He was baptised at Rosary Church, Tsim Sha Tsui, and has been involved in parish life since then.
Yau attended Christ the Worker Mass Centre, Ngau Tau Kok, and was active in the parish council and the Hong Kong Catholic Biblical Association. His desire to be a permanent deacon began in 1997 after the first batch of permanent deacons was ordained by John Baptist Cardinal Wu Cheng-chung.
In 2003, he submitted his first application but felt it wasn’t the right time. In 2015, he applied to be a permanent deacon again when he was nearly 50.
Recently, Yau’s wife became seriously ill, which was a big blow to his vocational journey. But the encouragement of his wife, spiritual advisors, other candidates and brothers and sisters in the Church motivated him to go on. He is now working in an organisation offering therapy for old people suffering from dementia.
Likewise, the bishop encouraged the candidates to strengthen their spirituality, take good care of their wives, and serve the Church with humility and joy
Leung trained at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, Wanchai, as well as Diocesan Pastoral Centres for Workers and spent a lot of time visiting street sleepers, cleaning workers and security officers, and distributing resources to them. As part of the formation process, he shared that he learned how to serve by listening to others.
He was an outstanding karate practitioner who won prizes in a number of international contests. He had never believed in God. He was, however, moved when his wife persuaded him to attend a catechism class at St. Andrew’s parish, Tseung Kwan O, where Father Peter Lo Pak-wing discussed pride. The teaching motivated him to pursue the truth in Christ.
Following his baptism, he was involved in several parish services, which led to his vocation. Father Chan turned down his application for the permanent diaconate in 2012 because he thought he needed more experience as a baptised Catholic and advised him to submit it in another two years.
Tang helped with pastoral care in hospitals before his ordination. In addition, he served at the Diocesan Pastoral Centre for Workers, Mother of Good Counsel Parish, San Po Kong, and St. John the Baptist Parish, Kwun Tong. He said the experiences enabled him to see things from others’ point of view.
I used to fight for others’ rights whenever I saw something unfair. Now I understand that we all have different experiences, and if the acts of others can show the beauty of faith, it will be good to accept one another
“I used to fight for others’ rights whenever I saw something unfair. Now I understand that we all have different experiences, and if the acts of others can show the beauty of faith, it will be good to accept one another,” he told the Kung Kao Po.
Tang was baptised at St. Edward’s parish, Lam Tin, in 1986 and later formed a social concern group there. He was a legislative and district council member around 20 years ago and helped to fight for the rights of people affected by urban renewal in Lam Tin.
Wat had his initial training at the Mother of Good Counsel Parish, San Po Kong. He was then assigned to St. Andrew’s Parish, Tseung Kwan O, to learn about liturgy and become its spiritual advisor in 2021. Wat grew up at Ss. Cosmas and Damian Parish, Tsuen Wan. He shared that his years of experiences in Catholic marriage and social work had inspired him to serve the Church more diligently.
Before his ordination, Lam served at Our Lady of China Parish, Tai Kok Tsui. He is currently an associate professor at the Felizberta Lo Padilla Tong School of Social Sciences of the Caritas Institute of Higher Education. He shared that he would like to help parishioners build a synodal Church using the listening and negotiation skills that he learned as a social worker.
Chan served the Catholic community at the airport and helped Deacon John Lam Chi-man to evangelise to visitors and staff members there. He was chairperson of the Catholic Society at Hong Kong Baptist College when he was young. His inspiration came from its late spiritual director Father Stephen Tam Kwan who reminded the young people to journey with the marginalised and poor. He had been an active parishioner at St. Thomas the Apostle Church, Tsing Yi and was a lector, Eucharistic minister and parish council member.
