On September 30 the English-speaking community of our parish conducted an annual pilgrimage. St. Stephen’s Church in Kwai Chung was our first visit, and we received a warm welcome from their members and our former assistant parish priest, Father Kantha Rao Gudipudi pime. All ministries as well as our parishioners joined this big events.
We visited Annunciation Church in Tsuen Wan and learned a lot of history about the church, which is also the first church we visited in 2000 when the English Community started organising pilgrimages.
This year’s pilgrimage was hosted by our youth group and among them four are serving as altar-servers. We support the youth group as we know that they played a very important part of service in the community. I’m now a ministry leader of altar-servers as I have tried to help and guide them in their spiritual journey of service in our community. Although we stopped our pilgrimage almost for three years due to the pandemic, we still thank God for giving us another chance to continue our spiritual journey to him.
Many difficulties came up during pandemic times, but we never gave up our faith and services to him. We are not perfect, and we have ups and downs in ministry and community but it’s a normal thing, as long as we don’t give up. Love can conquer everything as long as we put God first in what we do.
What I personally learned during this pilgrimage is to walk further in faith to God, make experiencing of oneness to his people and to one another. Through this journey I began to understand and see the purpose of all blessings Jesus had given me in this life.
I will continue to ask Jesus and Mama Mary to guide me and my community to walk in service faithfully. May everyone be inspired with my reflection on our pilgrimage this year.
I pray that as we walk and follow Jesus, we can continue to change people.
May God bless you all!
Juliet Felipe
Altar-servers Ministry
Immaculate Heart of Mary/ Taipo Church
