HONG KONG (SE): Reverend Henry Chau Chin-heng became the first diocesan priest ordained by Cardinal-elect Stephen Chow Sau Yan, sj, the bishop of Hong Kong, at the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception, Caine Road on September 16
The newly-ordained Father Chau thanked everyone who journeyed with him during his formation period, including parishioners he served, his spiritual advisors, his fellow seminarians and his family.
“Consecrated life is never about the contribution of one person. Every vocation is backed up by many brothers and sisters who contributed their time and efforts without being known,” he said.
“Today is a ceremony filled with peace and joy. I know there will be many new challenges after I am ordained priest. But as you brothers and sisters all know, the journey to follow Christ is always one with more blessings than difficulties. Your support and love is one among such blessings,” Father Chau continued.
Bishop Chow said he was delighted to participate in the priestly ordination, a joyful occasion in the diocese, and urged those present to keep praying for Father Chau. Wearing the mitre from the World Youth Day, he urged people to pray for more vocations, as the Church needs more young people to respond to their vocations like the newly-ordained.
Bishop Emeritus John Cardinal Tong Hon, Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Ha Chi-shing, Monsignor José Luis Díaz-Mariblanca Sánchez, head of the Holy See Study Mission and around 60 priests concelebrated the Mass.
During the ordination, Reverend Chau was first recommended to Bishop Chow by Bishop Ha, rector of the Holy Spirit Seminary. Bishop Chow then explained to him the priestly duties as a shepherd for the faithful to proclaim God’s words.
Reverend Chau then made pledged to commit to his duties and surrender his life to God.
Cardinal Tong and all the clergy present then laid lands on him and bless him. He later received his rope and stole, and put them on with the assistance of his parents and spiritual advisors, after which he was anointed by Bishop Chow.
The newly ordained then embraced the bishops, Cardinal Tong, and the priests present, as well as his family and friends down the altar amid the applause of the congregation.
Father Chau was born to a non-Catholic family in Hong Kong in 1991. He was baptised at the Holy Family Chapel while studying at Tak Sun Secondary School in 2009, and studied philosophy and politics at the University of Edinburgh in the United Kingdom after graduating from secondary school.
When he was a university student, he returned to Hong Kong during the summer holidays and met the Little Sisters of the Poor who raised funds in his parish, and started to volunteer at St. Joseph’s Home for the Aged. It was the first time he came into contact with the community life of the religious and witnessed the presence of Jesus in the sisters’ service to the elderly.
While we talked about his future occupation when he was young, I told him not to worry about his family as we can take care of ourselves. Do what he loves to do,
Daniel Chau Fu-wing
He joined the Holy Spirit Seminary as a diocesan seminarian in August 2015, and obtained a master’s degree in journalism and communication from the Chinese University of Hong Kong in the same year.
During his period of pastoral training, he served at St. Benedict’s parish, Shatin; Rosary Church, Tsim Sha Tsui; St. Mary’s Home for the Aged, Aberdeen; and the Home of Love set up by Missionaries of Charity in Sham Shui Po.
In December last year, he was ordained a deacon at St. Thomas the Apostle Church, Tsing Yi, where he had begun to serve three months prior.
Daniel Chau Fu-wing and Edith Lau Yuet-wa, parents of the newly-ordained priest said they had been longing for the day to arrive. Chau, who was baptised five years ago, said he was full of joy and had a feeling that his son would be a priest since his secondary school days, though he did not say it aloud. He could see that his son was such a devoted Catholic, a good friend of priests and “to serve others” were always the words from the young man.
“While we talked about his future occupation when he was young, I told him not to worry about his family as we can take care of ourselves. Do what he loves to do,” he said.
Lau, on the other hand, noticed a lot of changes in her son after he joined the seminary, as he used to be a person of few words. “He became very talkative and likes to communicate with people since he joined the seminary,” she recounted.
They said their only worry was that their son could not stand the pressure of the priestly formation, and were glad their son had already passed the trials.
Father Benedict Lam Cho-ming, parish priest of St. Thomas the Apostle parish, said that Father Chau, as well as other seminarians, all had performed excellently during their formation.
He encouraged the newly-ordained Father Chau to cherish his chance to serve people and to give good spiritual formation for the laity so as to strengthen the foundations of their faith.
Father Chau will be assigned assistant parish priest at St. Thomas the Apostle parish, Tsing Yi. His first Mass was celebrated the day after his ordination.
