HONG KONG (SE): The Holy Family parish, Choi Hung, as well as the Choi Hung Estate Catholic Secondary School said they will be happy to keep serving the community of the historic public housing estate during the period when it will be redeveloped. The school, where the parish is located, was informed by the Hong Kong government in August this year that it will not be affected by the redevelopment project as it is situated on land granted by the government in a private treaty for educational purposes.
The Hong Kong Housing Authority recently proposed a three-phase redevelopment and relocation plan for Choi Hung Estate, with the earliest start date in 2028 and an anticipated completion time of fifteen years.
Divine Word Father Johnson Dhos, parish priest of Holy Family parish and supervisor of the secondary school, said that as parishioners will be relocating due to the demolition, their journey to the church will be affected. In response, the parish will actively support them by offering appropriate pastoral and liturgical services, as well as giving them information related to their new communities to help them maintain their faith commitments.
Father Dhos believes when the nearby Tan Fung House is demolished in the first phase to widen Lung Cheung Road, local traffic will be affected requiring residents and churchgoers to take alternate routes. This may cause inconvenience for parishioners and the parish will need to pay close attention to updated traffic arrangements.
The school, where the parish is located, was informed by the Hong Kong government in August this year that it will not be affected by the redevelopment project as it is situated on land granted by the government in a private treaty for educational purposes
The parish priest informed people of the possible affects of the redevelopment project in the parish newsletter published on November 24. Maria Shaine Tan, a member of one of the 13 Filipino communities in the parish, said the inconvenience caused will not affect her commitment to attend Mass and her Sunday service as a fulfilling part of her day off.
Furthermore, Father Dhos said he could see that, as residents gradually move away starting from 2028, senior citizens—particularly those living alone—will need more support.
A Marian procession of the parish on October 13 around the Choi Hung community led by assistant parish priest Father John Baptist Le Van Ba. Photo: supplied
The parish has been serving them through pious associations in cooperation with the Yang Memorial Methodist Social Service, a day care centre for the elderly who live nearby. He pointed out that outreach services for the local community will be strengthened if necessary during the redevelopment period.
He is grateful for God’s blessings and guidance upon the parish over the past seven decades, emphasising the desire for the parish to continue its mission of spreading the joyous message of the gospel in the community of Choi Hung.
On the other hand, as the supervisor of Choi Hung Estate Catholic Secondary School, he can see the need for the school to be relocated within the same district as part of the expansion, and noted that the application for relocation was made a long time ago.
Father Dhos said he could see that, as residents gradually move away starting from 2028, senior citizens—particularly those living alone—will need more support
At least two decades awaiting relocation
Ho Ka-yan, principal of the secondary school said there are currently 24 classes in a school with over 600 male secondary students, located on just 3,000 square feet of land, while a standard school nowadays should be over 6,000 square feet. She said the limited space poses challenges for sports training, while booking of public sports facilities can be hard at times.
Nevertheless, the school tried to make good use of every bit of space to address the different needs of the students, and managed to attain good results in school competitions. Recently, it built a path for the Stations of the Cross on one side of the school for the spiritual needs of students.
The school, set up in 1966 and managed by the diocese, hopes to be rebuilt in a larger area within the same district. She noted that four applications have been made over the last 20 years.
The school has yet to be notified of any government plans and they will continue to strive for it. She hopes the diocese can help negotiate for a more speedy approval of the relocation.
The school, set up in 1966 and managed by the diocese, hopes to be rebuilt in a larger area within the same district. She noted that four applications have been made over the last 20 years
Ho highlighted the significance of the parish as a community treasure in East Kowloon, emphasising its role in nurturing many believers, especially younger generations. The church, historically maintained by various religious groups, is seen as a core part of the community.
With upcoming population growth in the area projected to increase by nearly 1.8 times due to the redevelopment project, she believes that the church and the school will together continue to play a vital role in educational and community services.
Ho said that the government has promised to make arrangements to help with the operation of the school during the redevelopment. For example, the playground on the rooftop of the two-storey carpark—currentlly a tourist and Instagram spot in the estate—will not be affected during the first phase of development, leaving students a place for classes. After the first phase of development, the government has offered to build an alternate sports ground for the public and for the school.
