HONG KONG (Agencies): Cardinal Stephen Chow S.J. celebrated Mass on Sunday, October 13, at his titular church of San Giovanni Battista de La Salle, in Rome, on October 13, while he was at the Vatican for the Second Session of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops.
The Mass was concelebrated by parish priest, Father Francesco Zanoni, along with three other priests from Hong Kong who are presently studying in Rome: Father Dominic Lui Chi-man, Father Philip Shi Yuqian and Father Joseph Cai.
In his homily, Cardinal Stephen invited those present to reflect on the impact of Jesus Christ on their lives.
Referring to the rich man in the Gospel of Mark [10:17-30] who struggled to give up his wealth and pride to follow Jesus, the cardinal invited those present to think about how they would describe their feelings about the Lord. He reminded the congregation how an encounter with Jesus can fill our hearts and lives as mentioned in Pope Francis’s first apostolic letter, “The Joy of the Gospel,” according to a video report by Salt + Light Media.
The cardinal was elevated to the college of cardinals on September 30 last year and celebrated his first Mass at his titular church 22 October 2023. [Sunday Examiner, 29 October 2023].
On October 6, Cardinal Stephen also visited the Chinese-speaking community in San Bernardino in Panisperna and celebrated a Mass in Mandarin at 4:00pm. In his homily, the cardinal, referring to the creation story in Genesis in which God creates a woman for man, spoke of the importance of companionship and the role of love in relationships. He also pointed out that a spirit of sacrifice was needed for parents, for family and also for a better environment in the future.
