HONG KONG (SE): As the Vatican released The pastoral conversion of the Parish community in the service of the evangelising mission of the Church, the new Instruction to guide the reform of parish communities, Church leaders in Hong Kong said they agreed that pastoral work should not only be conducted within the Church, but should also be extended to families and the local community.
The guidelines were released by the Vatican’s Congregation for the Clergy on July 20 (Sunday Examiner, July 26). One of the suggestions was that as parish life in the present context is undergoing rapid change and the digital world in particular is changing the dynamics of parish life, a parish in its modern setting is no longer attached to its geographic location, but is increasingly reflecting the dynamic of a “community by adoption,” where a person feels welcomed and nourished. As a result, “any pastoral action that is limited to the territory of the parish is outdated,” instead it is an existential space.
The guideline also pointed out an urgency for missionary renewal and the prevention of clericalisation of pastoral activities by allowing the laity to be protagonists of evangelisation.
Father Martin Ip Po-lam, parish priest of St. Benedict Church, Shatin, said he agreed that a parish is supposed to serve the local community. “We should be a good neighbour and not an indifferent one who is only concerned about evangelisation,” he said. He is glad that lay people are more active in fulfilling their duties in this aspect.
Father Ip recently organised workshops for the newly-elected officers of the parish council in which Caritas social workers were invited to talk about the community in Shatin so that they could understand the needs of the people there. He also believes that, while serving the local community, lay people should also know about different sources of professional support. For example, they can refer cases to social workers of Caritas when necessary.
As a member of the Diocesan Commission for Ongoing Formation of the Laity, Father Ip said the formation of the laity should respond to the needs of the time and, at present, the biggest challenge is an ageing population, and the pastoral needs of older generations of parishioners should be thoroughly considered.
Victoria Cheuk Chiu-man, chairperson of the parish council of Our Lady of Mount Carmel parish, Wan Chai, said lay people should not only fulfill their duties in their own ministries, but also pay attention to the needs of their local community and offer help.
She explained that this is why the parish kept its doors open during the series of protests last year and brings resources to the needy in the area in this time of the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic.
She said parish activities are not confined to the church and can be extended to families and the local community through the Internet, so that people who cannot go to the church during the pandemic can also join. She said the need for livestreamed Masses and formation activities has created a new demand for volunteers who can assist in online services.
She believes both the clergy and laity should train their successors and let the newly-baptised as well as young people know that they are part of the parish and are welcome to help in its development.
Sam So Kwok-wai, president of the Hong Kong Central Council of Catholic Laity, said parish priests and the laity should work together to build up the parish.
He encouraged people to extend their care and concern to the local community. He believes parish services are different from other voluntary work as they include a spiritual aspect so training is necessary for some services such as hospital visitation.
So encouraged all newly-baptised to join a faith association in the parish to enrich their parish life and deepen their faith. He can see that some parishes have become a platform for lay people to help the needy during the Covid-19 pandemic by collecting resources and distributing them to the needy.
