HONG KONG (SE): “This ministry brings the presence of the living God to the people. Faith is not a philosophy but rather an encounter with God… Even those with faith need to allow that encounter with God to take place. That’s what the presence of the relics brings,” Father Carlos Martins, director of the Treasures of the Church, who has brought 165 relics to Hong Kong, told the Sunday Examiner. For the first time, the ministry is holding an exposition in Asia.
The pilgrimage of the relics is organised by the Diocesan Pastoral Commission for Marriage and the Family and the Catholic Education Office under the title “Cloud of Witnesses-Walk with the Saints”.
Since establishing the ministry in 1997, Father Martins travelled with the relics throughout the United States. Over 200 dioceses have hosted expositions under the ministry, which the Vatican recognises. Various countries, including France, Italy, and Canada, have held expositions since 2005.
The first expositions in Hong Kong were held at St. Ignatius Chapel and the School Hall of Wah Yan College, Kowloon, from July 8 to 11, and later at Raimondi College and Caritas Caine Road Social Centre Community Hall, Mid-levels, from July 12 to 18. The last session on July 18 ended with a thanksgiving Mass celebrated by Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Ha Chi-shing.
Cardinal-elect Stephen Chow Sau Yan, sj, bishop of Hong Kong, with Father Carlos Martins on July 12.
In its 2,000-year history, the relics of saints and the patron saints of various parishes and schools, have been venerated by the Church. There are several first-class relics, which are the body parts of saints. The exhibition’s highlight is a fragment of wood from the True Cross [Sunday Examiner, June 18].
Father Martins spoke at the expositions and said there are blocks in our hearts that prevent us from encountering God through the relics or receiving healing. These include refusing to go to Mass, refusing to receive the sacrament of Reconciliation or fully confess one’s sins, and refusing to forgive.
The organisers also produced a series of short videos, released on June 15, in which Bishop Ha also talked about the life of saints and the meaning of relics. The bishop explained that relics are meant to prove to us the existence of saints in history who serve as examples of how to face different trials with faith. He said they may not be faultless and still have human weaknesses. “But the most important thing is that they were trying to get close to God throughout their lives up until their last breath. This is what we have to learn from them,” he explained.
Bishop Ha also shared about the life of some saints whose relics were venerated in the pilgrimage. These included St. Carlo Acutis, who died at the age of 15 in 2006 from leukaemia, who documented Eucharistic miracles around the world and catalogued them on a website designed by him; St. Gianna Molla, who sacrificed her life to protect the life of the unborn baby in her womb; St. Maria Goretti who forgave the neighbour who killed her after his sexual advances failed; St. Maximilian Kolbe who volunteered to die in place of a stranger in the German death camp of Auschwitz.
This ministry brings the presence of the living God to the people. Faith is not a philosophy but rather an encounter with God… Even those with faith need to allow that encounter with God to take place. That’s what the presence of the relics bring
Father Carlos Martins
There are 18 free sessions open to the public and school students, with a maximum of 300 people per session. Over 7,700 people had registered for the sessions.
Kevin Lai, executive secretary of the Diocesan Pastoral Commission for Marriage and the Family, said the exposition was organised in response to the appeal of Pope Francis in his apostolic exhortation, Gaudete et exsultate [Rejoice and be glad] to follow the call to holiness. He said the saints have acted as both intercessors and role models to follow in trials.
“Some saints had difficulties in their families and marriages, or were widowed or divorced, but they did not lose their faith in God and continued to walk, and the Church recognised them as saints for their heroic examples so that we can learn from them,” Lai said.
The four sessions for senior primary students and those for senior secondary students were nearly full. May Yeung Mei-hay, assistant to episcopal delegate for the Catholic Education Office, said pilgrimages of relics provide students with the opportunity to learn about the patron saint of their schools and pray before their relics. A video presentation in simple Chinese and cartoons about saints produced by the Diocesan Pastoral Commission for Marriage and the Family was shown to primary students. The pilgrimage also welcomes non-Catholic students and is a good chance for evangelisation.
Dominic Wong, a parishioner at St. Andrews’ Church, Tsweung Kwan O, attended the first exposition in St. Ignatius Chapel on July 8. He said that while venerating the relics, he could not help bu remember what they said in their lifetimes. They left behind not only relics, but also their experiences of encountering God, he said.
Pope Francis has granted a plenary indulgence to the faithful who participate in this pilgrimage of relics after fulfilling other conditions: properly receiving the sacrament of Reconciliation, receiving Holy Communion, reciting the Creed, the Our Father and the Hail Mary for the pope’s intentions.
