HONG KONG (SE): St. Joseph’s Church, Fanling, celebrated the completion of its new wing with a dedication ceremony and a Mass officiated by Cardinal Stephen Chow S.J. and parish priest, Father Pietro Paolo Dossi of the Pontifical Institute of Foreign Missions [PIME], on January 6.
The new structure comprises a church in the basement that will accommodate 700 to 800 people, a rooftop garden, a new bell tower, a multi-purpose activity centre, an open foyer, a parking lot and a dormitory for priests. The expansion, on about 1,510 square metres of land adjacent to the original historical church, started in February 2019. The original building was consecrated in 1954 with Father Ambrose Poletti pime as its first parish priest.
Up the present, the cost of building the extension is around HK$270 million. With some work still to be completed, the estimated cost of the project is about HK$300 million.
In his homily during the Mass, Cardinal Stephen said the new extension is a symbol of holiness, the body of Christ, and a symbol of the work of people of God whose contribution in the community has been recognised by the neighbourhood since 1957 after the parish became independent from Tai Po. Its evangelisation work is vivid in people’s minds with its clinic, nursing centre, floor factory caring for the daily needs of different people since late 1950s.
Cardinal Stephen incensing the altar of St. Joseph’s Church, Fanling, after anointing it with chrism oil.
Cardinal Stephen and Father Dossi unveil a commemorative plaque marking the dedication of the new wing of St. Joseph’s Church, Fanling.
A puzzle titled “Returning Home” assembled by the over 500 parishioners is completed.Today, the cardinal believes the direction of the parish’s evangelisation work may need discernment so as to bear witness the love of God. “On one hand, we are asking the Lord to sanctify the new building as a sacred space, to be used in sacred time. On the other hand, the establishment is a symbol of the community’s generous response to God with gratitude,” the cardinal said.
“How are you going to interpret the role of evangelisation from now until the foreseeable future. This is the work that we have to do,” Cardinal Stephen continued, encouraging the parish to evangelise with courage and creativity.
Father Dossi, in his message at the end of the Mass, expressed his joy at “returning home” and his gratitude for people who have been dedicated to making arrangements for the project in recent years; some even went to Italy to seek support for its design. He also expressed his deep thankfulness for the diocese and donors for providing funding for the project, and urged them to continue their support.
He agreed with the cardinal that the parish had a good foundation in Fanling due to the efforts of its predecessors, and said the parish will continue with their work to evangelise in the district, first by holding open days for the public on the following three consecutive Sundays with musical performances, game booths, handicraft workshops and guided tours. He is happy that Sunday Mass can now accommodate more people and announced new Mass arrangements to the parishioners.
Father Thomas Law Kwok-fai, who helped with the design of the extension, expressed gratitude to late former parish priest, Father Francesco Conte, PIME, who was deeply concerned about the project as well as late Father Giovanni Giampietro, PIME. who also took part in the design of the new church.
Cardinal Stephen said the new extension is a symbol of holiness, the body of Christ, and a symbol of the work of people of God whose contribution in the community has been recognised by the neighbourhood since 1957 after the parish became independent from Tai Po
The event started with an unveiling ceremony of a commemorative plaque by Cardinal Stephen at the entrance of the parish marking the dedication of the new wing of the parish.
Afterwards, Cardinal Stephen, Father Dossi, assistant parish priest, Father Phongphan Wongarsa, pime, pastoral sister, Sister Maria Pires, PIME, as well as parish council chairperson, Doris Leung Suk-ching, were invited to finish the last pieces of a puzzle which had been assembled by the over 500 parishioners of the parish. Every piece symbolises their uniqueness and their missions in the Church.
After a lion dance performance, the theme of the Church “Seven Sorrows and Joys of Saint Joseph” was explained by the Diocesan Building and Development Commission to those present.
The “Seven Sorrows and Joys” of the patron saint of the church was adopted as its theme. Seven plaques with poems tell of the feelings of St. Joseph during different events in his life, such as the flight into Egypt and the finding of Child Jesus in the Temple, and are displayed in different areas of the old and new church buildings to inspire parishioners and pilgrims through the faith of the saint.
After a procession, the keys were handed over from Cardinal Stephen to Father Dossi who then opened of the door of the new underground church. Cardinal Stephen then blessed the baptismal font, and sprinkled holy water on the congregation, different areas of the church, and the altar.
The Mass was celebrated by Cardinal Stephen and concelebrated by Joseph Cardinal Zen Ze-Kiun, Father Dossi and assistant parish priest, Father Wongarsa, Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Ha Chi-shing, Father Dominic Chan Chi-ming, chairperson of the Diocesan Fund-raising Commission for Church Building and Development, as well as around 40 other priest.
As the congregation sang the litany of the saints, a reliquary with the relics of nine different saints collected by late Father Conte were brought by Father Dossi and Father Wongarsa to the altar for Cardinal Stephen to place and seal it under the altar. The cardinal then anointed the altar with the chrism oil after which all the lights of the church were lighted.
Afterwards Sister Pires and parishioners covered the altar with a piece of white cloth and lit candles.
After the communion, the Holy Eucharist was incensed by Cardinal Stephen and solemnly placed in the tabernacle by Father Dossi.
The idea of going below the ground for the new extension was hatched because the new building could not block the sight of the original historical church, a Grade III historical building listed by the Antiquities and Monuments Office of Hong Kong in 2011. However, that meant a higher production cost considering the need to build basements. The construction project started in February 2019.
The historical St. Joseph’s Church was renovated in 2000, but it still could not accommodate the increasing number of faithful given the rapid population growth in Fanling. Expansion was needed to strengthen evangelisation work and support the entire northern New Territories, including Kwu Tung, San Tin, Man Kam To, Lok Ma Chau and other areas.
The Mass was attended by around 1,000 people in the old and new chapel. At the end of the Mass, Cardinal Stephen thanked all those present, especially the donors, chief executives, Donald Tsang and Carrie Lam, who supported the project during their terms. Rita Liu, one of the donors, thanked the church for approaching her for support.
