HONG KONG (SE): The third Worldwide Chinese Permanent Deacons’ Conference will take place in Hong Kong from November 13 to 17. With the theme “The New Evangelisation and Permanent Diaconate,” the conference will examine the ministries of Chinese permanent deacons throughout the world as well as make plans for the next five years.
Father Dominic Chan Chi-ming, the chairperson of the Diocesan Commission for the Permanent Diaconate, stated that the theme will focus on how permanent deacons continue the mission of evangelisation given by Jesus in different situations around the world, and what the mission means in the modern world.
According to Father Chan, the permanent deacons in Hong Kong have been working hard doing charity work to help the needy since John Baptist Cardinal Wu Cheng-chung established the diaconate and assigned the mission of new evangelisation to the permanent deacons three decades ago.
“For instance, there are more than 20 different prisons in Hong Kong and deacons regularly visit all of them. In addition, we intend to see how we might continue to help the needy, such as low-income families, workers, and patients in hospitals, in order to see how we might continue to advance in this area,” he said.
Around 100 people will attend the conference. They include Chinese permanent deacons and their wives from the United States, Canada, Australia, Singapore and local communities, as well as representatives from the dioceses of Taipei, Beijing and Macau who would like to know more about the permanent diaconate.
Stephen Cardinal Chow, sj, will give a speech and celebrate a thanksgiving Mass on the first day of the conference on November 13. Archbishop Thomas Chung An-zu of Taipei will celebrate a Mass on the second day, while Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Ha Chi-shing, will celebrate a Mass on the last day of the programme.
The conference will take place at the Caritas Oswald Cheung International House and the Caritas Community Centre-Aberdeen. In the five-day programme, there will be talks, group sharing, visits to different charities in Hong Kong, pilgrimage tours, and planning for the next five years.
The first and second Worldwide Chinese Permanent Deacons’ Conferences were held in Hong Kong and Toronto, Canada in 2013 and 2018 respectively. Permanent deacons urge the faithful to pray for the success of the conference.
