ASIA/HONG KONG - Bishop John Tong announces that at Easter 3,400 catechumens will receive the Sacraments of Christian Initiation

Hong Kong (Agenzia Fides) – Bishop John Tong of Hong Kong, during the Annual Assembly of the Association of Lay Catholics in Hong Kong announced that “at Easter 3,400 catechumens will be baptised - a noteworthy increase from the 3,040 from last year”. According to information on the Association's website, the 52nd Annual Assembly of the Central Council of the Association was held on 2 March at the Santa Croce Centre, with about a hundred participants from various parishes. Bishop John Tong addressed the Assembly, who heard his roundup of the results achieved over the last year and the works in progress for the coming year. In recent times more than 2,000 are baptised each year in the Diocese of Hong Kong and for the first time, last year, the number rose above 3,000 thanks to the impressive commitment by the diocese and the mobilisation of the laity. Currently the diocese's faithful counts 356,000 members, equivalent to 5% of the Island's population. (NZ) (Agenzia Fides 10/03/2011)