HONG KONG (UCAN): The Holy Spirit Seminary and Study Centre in Aberdeen hosted a gathering of the pastors and priests of the Anglican Communion in Hong Kong [Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui] and the Catholic Diocese on January 18, on the first day of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. The gathering was the first of its kind as part of the activities of International Anglican-Roman Catholic Commission for Unity and Mission [IARCCUM].
IARCCUM is a commission established by the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church as an official joint commission for promoting cooperation and collaboration between the two Churches. The gathering began with seminarian, Francis Choi, giving the delegates a brief introduction about the formation programme at the Holy Spirit Seminary followed by a tour of the magnificent 90-year-old Chinese siheyan-style [courtyard style] seminary building.
The participants moved into different groups for group sharing and interaction for over an hour before gathering again in the seminary chapel for the evening prayers. The afternoon activities concluded with a fellowship dinner.
The delegates of Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui included over 40 pastors together with Archbishop Andrew Chan of Diocese of Western Kowloon, Bishop Matthias Der of the Diocese of Hong Kong Island and Bishop Timothy Kwok of Diocese of Eastern Kowloon. Bishop Stephen Chow Sau Yan, sj, and Bishop Joseph Ha Chi-shing together with 30 priests, deacons and seminarians from the Holy Spirit Seminary attended the gathering.
