HONG KONG (SE): “Thank you all of you from different cultures for making Hong Kong a more colourful city because of your presence,” said Bishop Stephen Chow Sau Yan sj as he celebrated a Mass for the migrants’ community in Hong Kong on October 30 at Christ the King Chapel, Causeway Bay. It was the first time he joined the migrants’ day celebration since his installation as bishop last December.
The last Mass for the migrants’ day was celebrated by late Bishop Michael Yeung Ming-cheung in October 2018 (Sunday Examiner, 28 October 2018). It had been cancelled over the last three years due to social unrest and then the Covid-19 pandemic.
The annual celebration is held by the Diocesan Commission for Pastoral Services to Migrant Workers to show the unity among the diversified cultures in the Church, and the migrants’ mission to proclaim the Good News to all nations. It was also organised by the chaplaincies to different migrant communities, as well as the Diocesan Pastoral Centre for Filipinos.
The Mass was celebrated this year under the theme, Migrants… Called to Communion, Participation and Mission, in response to the theme of the Synod of Bishops in 2023, showing the determination of the migrants’ community, as disciples, to make disciples of others too.
No culture is perfect … All cultures need the grace of salvation of God so that it becomes a culture that can move people towards God. Yet we know that every culture has its own potential to share certain divine revelations to the rest of the world … Its goodness, wisdom, love and compassion—all these things unique in a culture can help us learn about Gods
Bishop Chow
It was concelebrated by over 10 priests including Filipino chaplain Father Jay Francis Flandez, prison chaplain for Filipinos Father Rodolfo Jacobe, chaplain to Vietnamese Catholic community Father John Baptist Le Van Ba, as well as Father Anthonius Reynolds Buluban and Father Blaise Cooray, who care for the Indonesian and Sri Lankan communities.
It was attended by members of 16 communities from different nationalities as well as consulate representatives.
At the beginning of the Mass, Bishop Chow invited people to pray for the injured as well as for the souls of those who died in the stampede in Seoul, Korea, the night before.
In his homily, Bishop Chow referred to the gospel reading of the day in which Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector, climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus. It showed his willingness to let go of his social status to meet Jesus. He reminded those present that our faith will requires us to be down-to-earth and spiritual at the same time, so that we will not be disconnected from God while we solve practical problems.
The bishop encouraged migrants of different nationalities to be proud of the beauty and wisdom of their own cultures. “No culture is perfect … All cultures need the grace of salvation of God so that it becomes a culture that can move people towards God. Yet we know that every culture has its own potential to share certain divine revelations to the rest of the world … Its goodness, wisdom, love and compassion—all these things unique in a culture can help us learn about God,” he said. At the same time, he encouraged people to humbly learn from one another as Christians in a pluralistic society.
In their mother tongues, representatives of migrants coming from different countries including the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Thailand, South Korea, Germany, France and India then prayed for Pope Francis, more active participation in the synod, the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, the family of migrants, the mission work of migrants, religious organisations as well as the sick migrant workers all over the world during the prayer of the faithful.
Paul Saret, a consul and head of Assistance to Nationals of the Philippine Consulate, said after the Mass that he was happy to see the chapel filled with people from different nationalities for the first time since the pandemic. He encouraged overseas Filipino workers to let the consulate know if they have any problems, and that he was particularly concerned about those who have not gone home in the past few years due to the pandemic which can cause some mental health issues.
Cultural presentations from the different communities followed. Kendra Yuen of the Vietnamese community, said the group was happy to perform a dance showing their faith in God. She said the Mass showed that communities from different cultures can happily serve God together.
