HONG KONG (SE): Father Bruno Lepeu of the Paris Foreign Missions, said he was happy with the fruits of his six-month mission in the Great Britain earlier this year to assess and support the needs of Hong Kong migrants, helping to establish networks and coordinate pastoral care among the diaspora.
His appointment came after Bishop John Arnold of the Diocese of Salford, visited Hong Kong in mid-2023 to explore ways of working with the diocese to provide pastoral care for Hong Kong Catholics who have recently emigrated to England. Subsequently, in November 2023, Cardinal Stephen Chow, S.J., assigned Father Bruno Lepeu as a chaplain for six months to gather information on the situation of migrants settled in Manchester and around the country, and offering pastoral care.
Visiting different dioceses, he saw that some needed networks to help them run better. So he approached the two bishops’ conferences of England and Wales, and of Scotland, highlighting the importance of local and national networking, and lobbying to address these issues.
“That was not my mission at the beginning, but I understood that was really needed to help the Hong Kong people being able to coordinate among themselves,” he said.
Unique situations in different dioceses
Father Lepeu and Father Philip Sumner celebrate Mass in Manchester. Photo supplied
During the six months, Father Lepeu tried, during each weekend, to visit two places there are close to each other, reaching out to as many as 30 places to observe unique situations. In London, there was already a well-established Chinese Catholic Community, but he could see the needs of a coordinating group for new Hong Kong migrants, who are not keen on a weekly Cantonese Mass as they want to mingle with the local Catholics. But in Manchester, there is a Cantonese Mass every second Sunday of the month celebrated by a local priest, Father Philip Sumner, who learned Cantonese by romanisation. He found similar situations in Cambridge and Glasgow.
He is glad to see that former catechists from Hong Kong had started a catechism class in Leeds. In Liverpool, a community has been restarted as the previously well-organised community had disappeared as members either died or moved away.
Language barrier in homilies and confession
The priest also observed that many migrants wish to integrate into English religious services, but they struggle with the language used in homilies and cannot follow the liturgy completely. Many try to understand more about the readings by connecting with online homilies posted by the Diocese of Hong Kong or its parishes, which are important spiritual sources for them.
Confession remains challenging for those unfamiliar with English, particularly the older generations. Some even told Father Lepeu that had not been to confession since their arrival in Britain. So during his visits, he found it necessary to allocate more time to hear confessions.
He could also see challenges faced by visiting priests due to strict policies regarding safeguarding and documentation, and the complexity of requirements that are similar to those for long-term employment, which has created confusion for dioceses unfamiliar with the rules. To address these issues, he sought clarification from the bishops’ conference to facilitate a smoother process for handling visiting priests’ arrival.
He is particularly happy to see the establishment of a national coordinating group under the arrangement of the bishops’ conference, and the appointment of the newly-ordained permanent deacon, James Shin, to serve the group, signifying a positive conclusion to his efforts
Resilience and unity of Hong Kong community
Father Lepeu believes celebrating a Cantonese Mass serves as a natural way to bring new Hong Kong migrants together, especially in areas where people may not know each other. He recalled that individuals often discovered connections and their shared religion with those in their community, enhancing their sense of belonging. Attendees got to know each other better and exchanged contact information after Mass. This interaction led to the formation of coordination groups to organise future Masses in many places.
On the other hand, the resilience of the Hong Kong community in responding to challenges and developing support systems impressed him. He could see that in many places, Hong Kong Catholics naturally self-organised to care for each other in both religious and everyday matters. Newcomers receive assistance from established residents, including help with transportation and settling in, demonstrating a strong network of care and connection.
He is particularly happy to see the establishment of a national coordinating group under the arrangement of the bishops’ conference, and the appointment of the newly-ordained permanent deacon, James Shin, to serve the group, signifying a positive conclusion to his efforts.
Called the Hong Kong Catholic Migrants Pastoral Coordination group, it was set up on July 1 under the leadership of Bishop Paul McLeenan, and comprises of a team of seven people, including Deacon Shin, along with six other migrants who have clear responsibilities and roles in different dioceses [Sunday Examiner, August 4].
For him, the six months in Great Britain was rewarding. “It was a blessing to visit them, to share with them, to stay with the families. People were very open-minded while sharing with me their situations. I really love those six months there. And it was difficult to leave them,” the priest shared.
While observing that Chinese online spiritual articles were often shared among Hong Kong Catholics, he believes the community can support its members abroad through visits and sharing more resources, such as spiritual booklets and Catholic Chinese New Year red envelopes.
Priests from Hong Kong can also contribute to the Cantonese community abroad particularly by visiting during sabbaticals. That will surely provide them with new experiences.
