Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Hong Kong (Agenzia Fides) - “I am very happy to be able to participate in the celebration of the 120th anniversary of the consecration of the Cathedral. And I pray for the Church in China.” This is how Archbishop Robert Sarah, Secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, described his first trip to a Chinese land, in the Mass he celebrated on December 7 in Hong Kong for the 120th anniversary of the Cathedral, which is dedicated to the Immaculate Conception.
According to a report from the Kong Ko Bao (the Chinese version of the diocesan bulletin), the Bishop of Hong Kong, the Auxiliary Bishop, the Vicar General, and numerous diocesan priests and missionaries in the area all joined in concelebrating the Mass in front of nearly 1,100 faithful. During the homily, the celebrant highlighted the fact that these 120 years of the Cathedral are also a part of the history of the diocese and of the missionaries, seeing as the church was built by PIME (Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions) missionaries, who celebrated their 150th anniversary of the mission in Hong Kong last year. According to the Vicar General and Dean of the Cathedral, Msgr. Dominic Chan, “making the faithful feel at home is the priority pastoral work of the Cathedral. We also encourage the participation of the youth, as the handing-down of the faith to the new generations. The Cathedral will celebrate the Year of the Pauline Vocation in 2009, so spread awareness among the faithful on the importance of vocations.”
At the close of the Mass, the Bishop of Hong Kong crowned the statue of the Immaculate Conception in the evangelization chapel inside the Cathedral. The crown was a gift from faithful and students in 1954, when the universal Church celebrated the 100th anniversary of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. On the occasion of the 120th anniversary of its consecration, the Cathedral has also published a book entitled “Reading the history of the Church, entering in the Cathedral,” that presents the story, evolution, architecture, and art of the Cathedral. (NZ) (Agenzia Fides 15/12/2008)
