HONG KONG (SE): In line with the Church’s synodality initiative, nearly 100 children from different schools and parishes gathered on May 18 at St Thomas the Apostle Church Tsing Yi in a Children’s Council to discuss what their ideal family, parish and school should be.
The children’s council was one among a series of preparatory activities for the World Children’s Day in Rome from May 25 to 26. It was jointly organised by 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.
The 90 children were divided into 14 groups to talk about their ideal school, parish and family under the guidance of school teachers and catechists. They were invited to talk using conversation in the Spirit, or in other ways they feel comfortable, in a 40-minute discussion, and then present their views on stage to Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Ha Chi-shing.
Marcus Kwong, a 12-year-old student from Yaumati Catholic Primary School [Hoi Wang Road] said he hopes that parishes will organise more pilgrimages overseas to encourage more participation and provide confessionals in a more private place in the parish. “It is good that we can give our views to the bishop so that our Church will be better,” he told the Sunday Examiner. He believes that more formation activities for children will inspire them to think about their vocations.
Gabriella Tang, an 11-year-old delegate who will represent Hong Kong in Rome on World Children’s Day, shared her hopes for a harmonious family. “We will share with each other. If we are unhappy or feel unfair, we can talk about it,” she said. In preparation for her trip to Rome, she said she had gathered her prayers from her Sunday school classmates.
This is a very heart-warming meeting. What the children have just expressed are very sincere thoughts and their heartfelt wishes, which actually gives us adults a very good opportunity to reflect because they want us to do better
Sister Suen
The children also talked about their expectations of their parents, such as more companionship and less pressure from them. They also hoped that their schools would offer better facilities and more formation activities.
Sister Josephine Suen FMM, executive secretary of the Diocesan Vocation Commission said “This is a very heart-warming meeting. What the children have just expressed are very sincere thoughts and their heartfelt wishes, which actually gives us adults a very good opportunity to reflect because they want us to do better,” she said.
Bishop Ha thanked the children present for their valuable views and sincere thoughts. He said he appreciated their ability to think broadly about their ideal homes, schools and churches, and their understanding that a church is not a place for only ourselves, but an community reaching out to tell more people about Jesus.
The children then had a personal dialogue with Bishop Ha on stage, asking him about his feelings and trials as a bishop. He told them that being a bishop can be tiring, but his drive comes from the love of God.
He also reminded the children that heaven is any place with people we love and that real suffering is caused by loneliness; a result of being away from God.
“My hope is that you will always be children and children of God because God loves you very much,” the bishop said.
The meeting ended with Bishop Ha praying that the children would fulfil their dreams by the power of God.
The young delegates, selected from eight deaneries in Hong Kong, left for Rome on the night of May 21.
