HONG KONG (SE): The China Province of the Society of the Divine Word [SVD] marked the opening of its 150th anniversary celebrations with a special Mass at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on September 8. Joseph Nguyen Van Thanh and Thaddeus Dao Duy Thien were ordained to the diaconate while Deacon Andrew Wang Shouzhao and Deacon Peter Le The Hai were ordained to the priesthood by Cardinal Stephen Chow S.J., the bishop of Hong Kong.
Cardinal Stephen began the Mass by blessing the images of St. Arnold Janssen, the founder of the congregation, and St. Joseph Freinademetz, a model missionary to China. He warmly welcomed all attendees, especially the families of the newly ordained, to this joyous occasion.
The Mass saw the participation of around 50 concelebrating priests, including Father Leszek Niewdana, the provincial of the SVD China province, Father Johnson Dhos, district superior, and Father John Baptist Le Van Ba, rector of the SVD Overseas Training Programme’s House of Studies, along with other SVD missionaries.
During the ordination ceremony, the candidates Deacon Le, Deacon Wang, Reverend Dao, and Reverend Nguyen were presented to Cardinal Stephen by Father Le. The cardinal outlined their duties to serve Christ with a commitment to celibacy and to meet the needs of the Church and its people. He also explained the priestly responsibilities of teaching, sanctifying, and guiding the faithful.
The solemn liturgy culminated with the laying on of hands by Cardinal Stephen, first on Nguyen and Dao to consecrate them as deacons, and then on Le and Wang to consecrate them as priests.
At the conclusion of the Mass, a prayer commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Society of the Divine Word was recited, expressing gratitude to God for inspiring St. Arnold Janssen to found the society. The prayer called upon the Holy Spirit to renew the members, guide their work, and inspire them to respond to new challenges with creativity, fidelity, and synodality.
Father Niewdana expressed his gratitude to Cardinal Stephen, the concelebrants, and the congregation. He highlighted the significance of the event as the start of the SVD’s year-long 150th anniversary celebration, commemorating the congregation’s mission work since September 1874.
At the conclusion of the Mass, a prayer commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Society of the Divine Word was recited, expressing gratitude to God for inspiring St. Arnold Janssen to found the society
He thanked various individuals and groups who supported the ordinations, including the families and mentors of the newly ordained, as well as the Filipino, Indonesian, and Vietnamese communities in Hong Kong, and the donors and supporters.
“Today is actually your day, not ours, for it is your persistent prayers and support that preserved our vocation,” Father Niewdana said.
The newly ordained priests and deacons also shared messages of gratitude. Father Wang, speaking in Mandarin, expressed thanks for the opportunity to be ordained by the cardinal in Hong Kong and for the support he received. He invited prayers for his younger brother in Australia, who will be ordained a deacon next March, and thanked God for allowing his family to attend the ceremony.
“I feel that the love of God is greater than what I think, and I believe that it is greater than what we all perceive. I really thank everyone for supporting us. I hope that we will be able to serve God better in the future,” he said.
Speaking in Vietnamese, Father Le congratulated the families of Deacon Dao and Deacon Nguyen. He thanked his mother and family for their presence and prayers and expressed gratitude to the Vietnamese Catholic communities in Hong Kong and Macau for their support.
The Society of the Divine Word held its 19th general chapter in Italy this June, gathering members from around the world to discuss the society’s future
He also thanked the communities from all the parishes they serve, and various individuals and groups involved in the ceremony.
Chui Chi-hung, an uncle of Father Le and a Chinese migrant in Vietnam, shared with the Sunday Examiner his belief that it was a great blessing for Father Le to serve as a missionary in Hong Kong.
“Without such blessing, he could not have walked such a long way,” he remarked, expressing his gratitude for the support and faith of the Hong Kong community during their stay.
Father Le, born in 1988 in Ninh Thuan, Vietnam, began his religious journey in 2006 and made his first profession on 16 July 2013. After two years of philosophical training in Vietnam, he joined the SVD overseas training programme. Assigned to Hong Kong in 2016, he commenced his theological studies at the University of St. Joseph in Macau in 2019. Father Le professed his perpetual vows in 2021, was ordained a deacon in January this year, and is set to celebrate his first Mass at Holy Family Parish, Choi Hung, on September 15. He will assume the role of assistant parish priest at St. Teresa’s Parish, Kowloon Tong, on November 1.
Father Wang, born in 1991 in Shanxi Province, China, entered the SVD novitiate in 2013. His formation took him through China and the United States, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy in China and a Master of Divinity degree in Chicago. He has a rich ministerial background, including roles as editor-in-chief of a Chinese Catholic magazine and involvement in clinical pastoral education and campus ministry, Father Wang served in a New Orleans parish before arriving in Hong Kong. He will celebrate his first Mass at St. Joseph’s, Garden Road, on September 15.
The 150th anniversary celebrations, spanning a year, commenced on September 8 in Nemi, Italy, and are set to conclude on September
Deacon Nguyen, born in 1987 in Dien Yen, Vietnam, joined the congregation in 2012. He completed his novitiate in 2015, made his first vows on July 16 of the same year, and his final vows on 12 June 2022. Nguyen’s academic journey includes a bachelor’s degree in literature and philosophical training at the Centrum Dominicanum Studiorum in Ho Chi Minh City, followed by theological training at the University of Saint Joseph in Macau.
Deacon Dao, born in 1988 in Tuy Hoa, Phu Yen, Vietnam, entered the Society of the Divine Word in 2010. He holds Bachelor’s degrees in linguistics, literature, and English pedagogy from Vietnamese universities. Dao received his philosophical training at the Franciscan Academy from 2014 to 2017 and studied Cantonese at the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2018. He participated in the congregation’s overseas training programme in the Philippines and Hong Kong from 2017 to 2020 and made his perpetual vows in Macau on 12 June 2022.
Starting from September 9, Deacon Dao will be assigned to Holy Family Parish, while Deacon Nguyen will serve at Visitation Parish, Tung Chung, assisting in pastoral services.
The Society of the Divine Word held its 19th general chapter in Italy this June, gathering members from around the world to discuss the society’s future. Pope Francis addressed the participants in Rome, emphasising the need for peacemaking in a wounded world and encouraging synodality within the Church.
The chapter elected Father Anselmo Ricardo Ribeiro as the new superior general, marking a significant leadership transition for the SVD. The 150th anniversary celebrations, spanning a year, commenced on September 8 in Nemi, Italy, and are set to conclude on September 8, 2025, in Rome [Sunday Examiner, August 11].
