Sharing: First Easter in Hong Kong

As my sharing: One Week in Yuen Long (http://anastasialindawatimm.blogspot.com/2010/04/sharing-one-week-in-yuen-long.html), I had two Paschal meals before Holy Thursday.

I attended English Holy Thursday Mass. I met Sharon Dobbs, a M.Div student of Catholic Theological Union (CTU), and her husband before the Mass. Harriet Spieth introduced her as she works in Hong Kong and take online course at CTU. There were three persons asked to be in full communion in the Catholic Church. Fr. Alex, MG was moved when he said sorry for the child sexual abuse cases. I couldn’t hold my tears. There was Night Prayer in front of the Blessed Sacrament after the Mass.

I watched Holy Thursday Mass live from Vatican at EWTN through internet and read The Diaries of the Maryknoll Sisters in Hong Kong, 1921-1966 by Cindy Yik-Yi Chu on Friday. I attended English Good Friday Service.

I was moved when my sister shared her thought about 7 last words especially the forgiveness in the Church. I attended English Easter Vigil Mass. There were 10 newly baptized including children and baby and 9 newly confirmed. Fr. Alex gave a stole and the godparents gave a candle to the newly baptized. It’s my first Easter as “Anastasia” which means resurrection.

There were around 3,000 newly baptized in Hong Kong Diocese on Easter Vigil (http://www.speroforum.com/a/30467/Hong-Kong-welcomes-3-thousand-newly-baptized-Christians). As on Aug 31, 2009, there are 353,000 Catholics in Hong Kong out of about 7 million populations, in 51 parishes. In addition, there were about 110,500 Catholic among the Filipino migrant workers. There is Indonesian Chaplain at Catholic Center besides Diocesan Pastoral Centre for Filipinos (and Indonesians) and Diocesan Commision Services to Filipino (and Indonesian) Migrants.

I attended English Easter Sunday Mass at St. Theresa of Lisiuex’s Church (http://www.stcecg.com). The Cantonese Mass was still going on when I arrived. I became tense while waiting as I thought about language study. As I prayed before the opening song, I felt incapable and I couldn’t hold my tears.

Srs. Maureen, Agnes, Joan, Joseph Lourdes and I went for lunch at The Salisbury-YMCA. Then I went to St. Paul’s Convent School Chapel-Causeway Bay. The Indonesian mass was celebrated by Fr. John, SVD, Fr. Aloy, SVD and Fr. Reggie, SVD. Around 350 Indonesian Catholics attended the mass and 4 newly baptized. I met several Indonesian students who are studying Mandarin and another majors in Guangzhou. There was a gathering including performance and dance practice till around 6 p.m. I had a dinner with the committee of the Indonesian Migrant Workers, Fr. John, Fr. Reggie,Toto, SVD, and Sr. Flora, RGS.

Easter celebration is the celebration of our redemption. May God bless us all to continue our journey to proclaim the good news of Christ’s redemption and human salvation.

Kowloon Tong-Hong Kong, April 15, 2010

Sr. Anastasia B. Lindawati, M.M.

Let’s do simple things with simple love to make God’s love visible