HONG KONG (SE): “I feel so excited to take part. During the Taize prayers, we all sat on the floor and chanted. We all felt peace and the love of God,” said Janae Dai Hiu-yan, a nine-year-old participant of the World Children’s Day preparation activities in Hong Kong.
Dai said she worried before the gathering that she would not understand the message of the spiritual gatherings but thanks to the explanation of priests and sisters she could manage.
Dai is one of the eight child delegates from Hong Kong selected from different deaneries who will go to Rome to join the first World Children’s Day from May 25 to 26. She said she will prepare by reading more books about Rome and pray more often.
A series of prepartory activities fhave started in Hong Kong after the inauguration Mass in April [Sunday Examiner, April 28]. A Eucharistic adoration and a Taize meeting took place on April 28 and May 5 for children to seek a closer relationship with God in this Year of Prayer for the 2025 Jubiliee Year. Parents and organisers of the two gatherings said the good outcome two has shown that children can be given more chances to take part in different kinds of spiritual activities.
Vicar general, Father Paul Kam Po-wai, said the Taize prayer meeting and the Eucharistic adoration were tailor-made for children as the time lengths were shorter and handicrafts, drawing or writing tasks were added to increase their opportunities to participate.
I feel so excited to take part. During the Taize prayers, we all sat on the floor and chanted. We all felt peace and the love of God
Janae Dai Hiu-yan
Father Kam said he was happy with the active participation of children in the gatherings as the quota for the two spiritual gatherings was filled up weeks beforehand. He believes the children’s involvement in the activities also showed that they have a lot of potentials in participating in different kinds of spiritual gatherings.
During the Taize prayer meeting, more than 100 children singing and chanting prayers with their parents and learned to entrust everything to God. Before that, an icon painting workshop was held for them.
Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Ha Chi-shing led a Eucharistic adoration at Holy Spirit Seminary, Aberdeen, on May 5. Bishop Ha first led children in singing hymns. Afterwards, children were encouraged to look around the seminary, feel the presence of God in the beautiful environment and write down their prayers under the guidance of religious sisters, volunteers or school teachers. Afterwards, prayers written by participants earlier that day were also read out.
The parents on the other hand, were invited to take part in a talk organised by the Diocesan Pastoral Commission for Marriage and the Family. Emma Chow, the mother of Dai, said the talk reminded her of the importance of praying together as a family.
On the other hand, she observed that her daughter, after the two preparatory activities, has become more open to share about the forthcoming journey to Rome to other parishioners at St. Margaret’s Church, Happy Valley, as well as people around her. The girl also began to sing the Taize chants to help her overcome daily trials, and taught other family members how to sing.
Afterwards, children were encouraged to look around the seminary, feel the presence of God in the beautiful environment and write down their prayers under the guidance of religious sisters, volunteers or school teachers
She is happy to see that her daughter, as well as other children, were able to concentrate in their prayers quietly in both Taize prayer meeting and Eucharistic adoration.
Lucas Lam, a 11-year-old participant and also a child delegate to Rome, believes that the Taize prayer meeting can help him visualise the difficulties of the people suffering in war through repeated chanting. Later at the Eucharistic adoration, he wrote down his prayers for harmony between human beings and nature while glorifying God for his creation.
Ivy Chan, mother of Lucas, she may try to bring her son to the more spiritual gatherings of her parish. “I used to think that he does not understand spirituality, but now I realise that he can if we can give him a chance,” she said. As a Sunday school teacher at St. Jerome’s Church, Tin Shui Wai, she said she will also try to share more of her spiritual reflections with him in their daily lives as well.
The Diocesan Vocation Commission, Diocesan Youth Commission, Diocesan Catechetical Centre, the Hong Kong Central Council of Catholic Laity, and the Home for Greenery, a lay group for children in marginalised families, jointly organise these activities.
