By Father Paul Kam Po-wai
The diocesan Mission Sunday 2023, with the theme, “Come and Follow me, Go and Give witness” runs from Pentecost Sunday, May 28, to Mission Sunday, October 22. It is hoped that in this short journey, we can reflect on how to live a life of “Come and Follow, Go and Witness”. “Come” means that Jesus calls us to follow him; “Go” means to fulfill the teachings of Jesus and to be a witness for the Lord.
On Pentecost Sunday when the Mission Sunday celebrations started, all parishes in Hong Kong were invited to promote it by showing a short video during the parish report, including a brief introduction of the activities of the whole Mission Sunday celebration, the announcement of its official opening by Bishop Stephen Chow Sau Yan, SJ, as well as the recitation of the Prayer for the Mission Sunday. I don’t know if any of you have seen it, but if not, feel free to visit the website of Mission Day Celebration 2023.
During this period, more than 20 people went to Tan Ka Wan on June 4 and to Sham Chung on June 25 to experience and reflect on the history of the mission of Bishop Giovanni Raimondi and Father Emilio Teruzzi through “Theatre Spirituality”.
On July 1, more than 120 people went to Yim Tin Tsai to learn about the footprints of missionaries in the past through guided tours, group sharing, and thanksgiving services. We are grateful to the staff and volunteers of the Diocesan Working Committee for “Following Thy Way” and people in Yim Tin Tsai for revitalising these once-deserted places, so that the footprints of the missionaries of the past can still serve as a symbol and a place to spread the message of God today.
In addition, more than 60 people participated in the sharing session held on July 9 at the Canossian Convent to learn about the history of the missionary work of the Paris Foreign Missions and the Daughters of Charity of the Canossian Institute in Hong Kong, and to feel the love of the missionaries for the people of Hong Kong through the sharing of the priests and nuns.
On July 16, more than 50 people went to the Cheung Sha Wan Catholic Primary School to participate in the sharing sessions of MercyHK and Hong Kong Catholic Lay Missionary Association, and learn about how lay people spread the gospel in Hong Kong and overseas by serving and caring for the weak and the vulnerable. May these experiences help them follow the footsteps of their predecessors and follow Christ, so that they can reflect on their own mission and respond positively to fulfill their mission to evangelise.
The peak of the Mission Sunday celebrations will be on October 22, Mission Sunday, from 10:00am to 3:30pm. at St. Paul’s Convent School in Causeway Bay, where there will be booth games and performances. It is hoped that Catholics will invite non-believers to participate so that they will get to know our faith through the games, performances, and companionship.
In fact, a simple invitation is the beginning of evangelising.
Finally, the celebrations end with a thanksgiving Mass in the Chapel of Christ the King, which is another remainder of our mission, as we will be commissioned by the bishop to continue to follow Christ and bear witness in our lives.
