HONG KONG (SE): Father Dominic Chan Chi-ming, the longtime parish priest of the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception on Caine Road, celebrated his 70th birthday with a Mass and a sharing session on October 30.
As the Mass began, Father Chan entered the cathedral with a lighted candle decorated with yellow flowers. Sister Mary Arokiyasamy Rani, the pastoral sister at the Cathedral, designed it to symbolise joyful thanksgiving. Father Michael Noh, assistant parish priest and Divine Word missionary, Father Joseph Tan Leitao, concelebrated the liturgy, expressing gratitude to God and Father Chan for his decades of service in Hong Kong.
Parishioners who have emigrated overseas recorded a 15-minute video expressing their gratitude for Father Chan’s dedicated service.
Then, people came up to share their experiences of serving the parish under the leadership of Father Chan and how his example enriched their lives.
Because of his deep faith in God, he remains joyful and hardworking. Parishioners appreciate him for caring about their families and those who are marginalised.
During the Mass, Father Chan expressed gratitude to God for his journey in life and the support of his family and others who served the Church alongside him. As a diocesan priest and parish administrator, he shared that it wasn’t easy, but he was inspired by his spiritual studies, reflection on God’s word, and the Eucharist. “My heart is full of peace, joy and freedom. Looking back at the past 70 years, I can only feel grateful,” he said.
In the parish newsletter, Father Chan relfected on the abundant blessings of God in every decade of his life. For the past 10 years, he said he was especially grateful for the chance to promote synodality in the parish and spirituality in the practice of Tai Chi.
Five years ago, together with concerned people, he was glad to set up the Angel’s Garden at the Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery, Chai Wan, for stillborn babies. It was a pleasure for the former vicar general to develop permanent deacons’ ministries as a novel way of evanglising through caring for the needy and contributing to the preservation and revitalisation of his native village in Yim Tin Tsai since around 20 years ago.
Father Chan was ordained a priest at 27 in 1979, and from 1992 served for nearly three decades as the vicar general of the Diocese of Hong Kong. His ministry included parish duties at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception from 2000 to 2009 and from 2014 to the present.
