HONG KONG (SE): “We discover the forgotten people, extend our assistance and bring more attention to them; by doing so, we hope that the needy can see God’s love; this has been our spirit for more than one hundred years,” Ellis Suen Hon-wah, president of the Hong Kong Central Council of St. Vincent de Paul, told the Sunday Examiner after a Mass marking the feast day of St. Vincent de Paul as well as the 160th anniversary of the Central Council on September 27.
Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Ha Chi-shing celebrated the Mass at the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception, Caine Road. Bishop Emeritus, John Cardinal Tong Hon; Monsignor José Luis Díaz-Mariblanca Sanchéz, head of the Holy See Study Mission; and Father Dominic Cham Chi-ming, spiritual director of the Hong Kong Council were among the concelebrants.
During the anniversary celebrations prior to the Mass, members from Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, and Hong Kong had the opportunity to share their experiences at an exchange conference held at the diocese centre on September 25. A pilgrimage to Yim Tin Tsai also took place on September 24.
The St. Vincent de Paul Society celebrated its founder’s feast day on September 9 with a Mass celebrated by then Cardinal-elect Stephen Chow, sj, during which members were blessed and commissioned to bear witness to God.
At the beginning of the September 27 Mass, a relic and a picture of St. Vincent de Paul were carried to the altar by president general international, Juan Manuel Buergo Gomez, and Suen. In Hong Kong, Vincentian communities are present in 31 parishes with around 600 members.
We discover the forgotten people, extend our assistance and bring more attention to them; by doing so, we hope that the needy can see God’s love; this has been our spirit for more than one hundred years
Ellis Suen Hon-wah
In his homily, Bishop Ha said it is difficult for a group to serve for 160 years in Hong Kong, endure wars, and pass through trials throughout the generations. He recognised the selfless contributions of its founder, Blessed Frederic Ozanam, and the early members of the organisation. Ozanam could not have imagined how quickly it would grow even in the face of anti-Church sentiment following the French Revolution, the bishop commented. He said the determination to serve the poor is inspired by not only St. Vincent de Paul but also Jesus Christ who was moved once he saw the poor [Matthew 9:36].
The annual general meeting of the society began with Father Chan saying that, in addition to being grateful for its fruits, the council needs to develop strategies for expanding to parishes without Vincentian communities.
Gomez, in his address, reminded those present that building friendship with others is the most important and briefly talked about his plans. “I want to make our institution and its evangelising social action better known as a world reference. I want to strengthen communication, support relations with the Vincentian Family and the Church,” he said.
Arriving Hong Kong on September 23, Gomez attended a meeting in which the communities in different parishes shared their work. He also visited the relic of St. Vincent de Paul in St. Joseph the Worker Parish, Ngau Tau Kok, the nearby St. Vincent de Paul Nursery School, and Ozanam Comprehensive Services Centre in Sham Shui Po.
According to Suen, the Hong Kong council will develop training materials for members so that they are better prepared to offer their services in accordance with the international trend of improving the quality of charity services.
I want to make our institution and its evangelising social action better known as a world reference. I want to strengthen communication, support relations with the Vincentian Family and the Church
Juan Manuel Buergo Gomez
Regarding the formation of young members, the council will organise more meetings for them to exchange views and broaden their horizons. A local coordinator will be assigned to look into the needs of the young members in a designated area.
Suen said many activities were stopped during the Covid-19 pandemic, so the Hong Kong council at present finds it necessary to strengthen collaboration among different groups within the Church, and to reach out to different people such as the ethnic minorities.
Suen said the council will continue their service to the homeless, the street cleaners and prisoners. In past years, they discovered that the families of prisoners needed care as well. Two prisoners’ families are now regularly visited by a newly-formed group called “Serving the Invisibles”, which will keep looking for prisoners’ families in need of attention.
The Central Council of Hong Kong of the Society of St Vincent de Paul was founded by Italian missionary Father Gaetano Favini on 12 July 1863. In the early years of the Church in Hong Kong, the society endeavoured to help the poor. In the 20th century, the number of members grew rapidly. After the Second World War, the society undertook a lot of relief work, such as helping schoolchildren and the sick and the poor, and also distributing supplies. Subsequently, parish associations were formed and services became more diversified.
Through the Ozanam Comprehensive Services Centre, different services are provided to the Sham Shui Po district, catering to of families of different ages. These include tutorial classes for school children, Chinese medicine consultations, and visits to the elderly living alone.
The society also provides day care and pre-school education for children through the St. Vincent de Paul Nursery School. Its Refugee and Protection Claimant Services Group organises regular activities to support over 70 refugee families.
