Sharing: Nov 2019 Puning O2O Gathering

Ms. Lin and Mr. Cai helped me to organized the first Puning O2O Gathering on Nov 10, 2019 at Shen Shi Yang Church Puning-Shantou. There were more than 30 members (mostly male) registered including from Shenzhen and nearby district. This gathering is a collaboration with the parish priest of Shen Shi Yang Church Fr. Lin, who set up a single Catholics group chatting several years ago but never arrange an offline gathering.  During his welcome speech, he said as he remember it’s the first  single gathering in Shantou diocese and grateful that I helped to arrange this gathering.  Several of his members are also members in my single group chatting prior to the gathering.

Three participants and I went to Puning on Nov 9, 2019 and prepared the logistics: booking the meals and cake, and also set up the place.

I led the gathering with the prayer for finding the soulmate followed by self introduction, and lunch at nearby local food restaurant.  I asked them to see the precious gift followed by watching  short clip of a Hong Kong Catholic movie star Zhang Wei Jian ( https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s?__biz=MzIzMzE1OTE3OQ==&mid=2649450342&idx=4&sn=0eca848ff485bf461275623fbf3bc7f5&chksm=f0962802c7e1a114f7767d2c6c73cbce5ed74fa897b07f036863422debf92312ecde6f4c966c&mpshare=1&scene=1&srcid=0914gJKiU5bZ3AeMM57HLYyd&sharer_sharetime=1568447355474&sharer_shareid=83b8db563bcfec2c22c6fc36d3e3e4d2&pass_ticket=gqCQsyWpNMRFMLpIqya3kH%2B95mnaySHBA1m62uttTN%2BAFgUNMYJ6h00SjIKiQPJG#rd) and “ Look Up” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7dLU6fk9QY&t=10s. There was birthday celebration for one of the members, small group sharing and report to big group.  

Four participants and I went to a nearby Church in Liusha after the gathering and then had dinner with several other participants under Fr. Lin account. 

Since there was one member didn’t agree to upload group picture to social media so no pictures are available for the group chatting.  The gathering activities pictures aren’t allowed to be uploaded to social media too.  We set up a new group chatting for all the participants of the gathering so the pictures are available in this group.

I attended evening Sunday Mass at Shen Shi Yang Church and then memorial Mass at Shi Men Catholic Cemetery the next morning.  There were 4 priests ((including Fr. Lin), one deacon, one seminarian and around 300 hundred Catholics for the Mass.  There are two big graves and many smaller grave.  According to the grave stove, it was in 1791.  The people believes that these people were killed because of their faith in their village and then buried in this place, which was a Plum (李子) farm so the local Catholics bought the place three years ago, the price is based on the number of the plum trees and graves, and renovated it and also arrange annual memorial mass on Nov 11.  I went back to Shenzhen after visiting a nearby Church in Kui Tan in the afternoon.   

Since the last O2O gathering in Shenzhen, there are several developments in my group chatting.  Till now, I set up 4 youth group chatting: for youth gathering (mostly single and doesn’t want to be in single group), for single looking for soulmate and learning from each other, for dating, and for married preparation program.  Total members for youth gathering group chatting is more than 60 members  and for single Catholics group chatting is 280 members in 2 groups.   I write an announcement for the group members to sit behind the choir if they attend Sunday Mass at Holy Family Church so they have more opportunity to interact with each other.   

Hong Kong, Nov 14, 2019

Sr. Anastasia B. Lindawati, M.M.

Let’s help each other to live less waste living for a better world.

Sharing: July 2017 Gathering for Qian Mo Hao Guang Youth Group

I organized a gathering for Qian Mo Hao Guang Youth Group on July 2, 2017.  There was around ten youth attending the gathering.  The topic for this gathering was“互联网在生命和信仰中的影响”(=The Influence of Internet in our Life and Faith).

We prayed together the prayer to St. Don Bosco followed by a game.  I gave a short introduction about World Communication Sunday and then two of the participants took turn to read the message of Pope Francis for World Communication Sunday (https://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/messages/communications/documents/papa-francesco_20170124_messaggio-comunicazioni-sociali.html) and an article on a local Catholic newspaper ”教你取舍网上教会讯息” (=Teaching you how to sort out Church news on the internet) followed by small group discussions.

I gave English books from Mr. Harvey Paul as a gift for the volunteers of the game and VCD from Hong Kong Diocese Vocation Commission “Echoing” for the readers.  

I welcome them to attend youth gathering, which will be organized by Shenzhen youth.

Hong Kong, July 3, 2017

Sr. Anastasia B. Lindawati, M.M.

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

Sharing: Jun 2017 Youth Gathering of Holy Family Church

Several volunteers and I organized the youth gathering on June 10 - 11, 2017 by going overnight to Huizhou.  There were 47 youth including Fr. Lu, the volunteers and I.    

We left after daily Mass by bus.  It took around one and a half hours. Mr. Liu gave short introduction about our program and the Fr. Lu led the prayer and singing together. 

My group lost during the game so we should eat biscuits with wasabi as the penalty.  After settling down our room arrangement we had lunch at a nearby restaurant.  Ms. Deng prepared the ambiance of our common room with several Mother Mary’s images including our Lady of Marykoll and then led the session on Mother Mary.  There were presentations of each group about their group’s name related to Mother Mary and small group sharing.  The names of the groups are Immaculate Conception, Our Lady of Sheshan, Our Lady of China, Black Madonna, Our Lady of Lourdes and Our Lady of Fatima.  Our theme song was 公教青年 (=Catholic Youth), here is the link:   https://youtu.be/1aUO7vHxhs8

I helped several volunteers in preparing the barbeque for a while and then finishing the summary while several youth went to the beach.  We started our barbeque dinner around 8.00 p.m.  Several youth played card, sang karaoke, performed live music show, etc.   

I went to the beach (again) to see the sunrise the next morning.  After breakfast, Fr. Lu said the Trinity Sunday Mass. I gave the summary including asked Mr. Wu to read the letter about Private Revelation from Chancery of Hong Kong Diocese and gave away pendant of 100^th anniversary of Our Lady of Fatima from Our Lady of Fatima Church Cheng Chau – Hong Kong and several rosaries for those who could answer the questions about Mother Mary. 

We went back to Shenzhen after having lunch at the nearby restaurant.

Here is the link of the pictures: https://www.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0EbuWrFm4ZM2hh&emid=shareprintviewer&linkid=link

Hong Kong, June 16, 2017

Sr. Anastasia B. Lindawati, M.M.

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

Sharing: 2017 Trip to Chaonan

Mr. Zhou and Ms. Chen, two volunteers at Holy Family Church, invited me to attend their sacrament of matrimony in Xin Min – Chaonan on January 16, 2017.  Mrs. Hu and I went by bus not long after the daily Mass.  It took around 4-5 hours from Shenzhen.  It’s a high bus with reclining seat and toilet.  Mr. Zhou and his brother met us at the bus stop and then they rent a small car to go to their village.   

We had late lunch with gong fu tea at Mr. Zhou’s house besides having a conversation with his family.  His father accompanied us to walk to St. John’s Church at Xin Zhong village at around 5:00 p.m.  It’s one-floor building on the outside but there is second floor (around half of the building) on the inside for the mini Grotto, two bedrooms (one for guest priests or sisters and one for a layman) and one toilet.  Unfortunately, there is a public toilet in front of the Church.  Most of the villagers are not Catholics.  The old Church was built in 1882 and the latest renovation finished on 2014.  There are only one or two Masses during the year as the pastor should manage around 18 Churches.

The parishioners started to pray the evening prayer in Chaozhou language since 6:30 p.m. for more than an hour.  The pastor is not available that night so they invited Fr. Li came from another Church.  It’s a time for confession too.  The Church was full with their family and relatives and it’s only 1/3 of their clan as many of them are working outside the village and will go home during Chinese New Year.  The preferable Sacrament of Matrimony in this area is Mondays or Thursdays in Chaozhou language and they usually look for the good day based on the birthday of the bride and groom.  Their date of marriage was decided on the previous Sunday.

Mrs. Hu, Mrs. Ma, Mr. Zhou, his brother, his brother’s friend and I had late supper in a restaurant after the Mass.  Mrs. Hu and I stayed overnight at Mrs. Ma’s house.  Mrs. Ma told us that her mother usually goes to Holy Family Church so she showed us her mother’s picture and I recognize her, small world!  I invited Mrs. Ma to pray together as his husband would have surgery the next morning. The surgery went well.

Mrs. Ma dropped us at Mr. Zhou’s house to have breakfast and then left for Shenzhen first by motorcycle with passenger seats on the back and then by bus. They gave me a bag of sweet potatoes from their farm.

Hong Kong, January 18, 2017

Sr. Anastasia B. Lindawati, M.M.

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

Sharing 2015: Trip to Jieyang and Shanwei

Several parishioners of Holy Family and I went to Kuitan-Jieyang （葵潭-揭阳） to attend the sacrament of matrimony ceremony of Ms. Yue, one of the readers, on January 4.  It took around 3 hours by car for the six of us and two hours by high speed train for the two of us.  We had dinner with Ms. Yue’s family and friends before going to Sacred Heart of Jesus Church.   The sacrament of matrimony was held before the regular Sunday evening Mass.  The parishioners chanted prayers in Chaozhou language （潮州话）before the sacrament of Matrimony ceremony and after the Mass.  The Church was full and there was children choir including the organist and the commentator.   As I looked at the children choir, I was surprise to see Mr. Li, one of the minor seminarians who visited Holy Family Church last year.  Later on I knew it’s his hometown.   

Three readers of the Holy Family Church, in red blouses and red tie, were in charge for the readings in Putonghua.  The Mass was bilingual Chaozhou language and Putonghua. The Shenzhen parishioners asked me to stay because there was no high speed train to Shenzhen anymore and there is enough room only for seven persons on the car.  I agreed to stay even though I didn’t prepare for staying.  I stayed at the guest room at the third floor of the rectory and convent building next to the Church building. 

The bride and the groom went to their parents’ home.  The groom and his family picked the bride up the next afternoon then they would go for the wedding banquette held by the groom’s family in the evening.  It’s a customs that the parents and siblings of the bride do not attend the bridal banquette.    The bride usually wears red gown and will go to her parents’ home （回娘家）on the third or twelve days later.   

I attended Chaozhou Mass the next morning.  Once again, Fr. Ceng introduced me after the Mass in Chaozhou language.  After breakfast prepared by Sr. Chen, Fr. Ceng, Mr. Wang and I went to Da Keng Tou-Jieyang （大坑头-揭阳） to send three big holy pictures for the Church.  All of the residences (around 300-400 persons) of this small village are Catholics.  They destroyed the old Church and have a temporary Church building as they are building a two floor Church on the same compound.  Several workers are local women.

We stopped at a parishioners’ house on the way to bless a cemetery lot in the middle of Longan farm.  After having gongfu tea and lunch at two different parishioners’ house, we went to Bailing-Jieyang （白领-揭阳）. 

The residence of Bailing village is around 5,000 persons and they are all Catholics.  We went to pay tribute to one of the residences and then went to Fr. Ceng’s parents’ house while waiting the funeral service.   Several older people came to have gongfu tea and chat.  Most of them could only speak Chaozhou language.  A man lighted firecrackers and threw it on the ground as the opening of funeral procession to the Church, followed by a marching band, the coffin, and the family. After the funeral service, the marching band gave a tribute and then the coffin was brought in the similar order including the firecrackers but longer route procession while chanting prayers using loudspeaker. Mr. Wang and I joined the procession half way and went to Church.  Mr. Wang said several parishioners went to Church three times a day to pray, especially the rosary. There were several elderly people praying.  We wait at Fr. Ceng’s house as he was going to baptize a child. After having lunch at the Church hall prepared by the family, Mr. Li showed me the memorial pictures of 7 priests from this village.  The Church hall is located behind the Church and can hold 15 tables of 10 persons.  Usually the family prepares meals three times a day since one day before the funeral service.   

Fr. Ceng, Mr. Wang, Mr. Li and I went to Epiphany Church Chikeng-Shanwei （赤坑-汕尾）and then having dinner with Fr. Yao, Fr. Li, Sr. Chen at one of the parishioners’ house.  We went back to Church for Chaozhou Mass.  Fr. Yao is the pastor of this area and he takes care of 25 Churches and chapels.  Sr. Chen and I stayed overnight at a parishioner’s house. 

The Church was opened at 6:00 a.m. on January 6 and parishioners chanted the morning’s prayer in Chaozhou language.  It's the Foundation Day of Maryknoll Sisters!  The Mass began at 7:00 a.m. and the Church was full both inside and outside.  They came from this small village and the surrounding area as that’s the customs on the Feast Day.  There was podrige available for all parishioners in the Church compound. They lighted a lot of firecrackers in front of the Church compound. 

After brunch at a parishioner’s house, we went to Immaculate Heart of Mary Church at Niu Pi Di-Shanwei （牛皮地-汕尾）. Fr. Ceng, Mr. Wang and Mr. Li dropped me at Lufeng （陆峰）train station as I went back to Shenzhen then Hong Kong.

I am grateful for this opportunity to visit several Churches in this rural area to see the life and devotions of these long generation Catholics and also their warm welcome and generosity.  Many young people went to the big cities for study or job.  Around 60-70% of the parishioners of Holy Family are Chaozhou people.  Mr. Li said that he can’t chant the prayer with the Chi Keng people because there are slightly different dialects in this area.       

            Here is the link of the pictures: http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0EbuWrFm4ZM2OV

Hong Kong, January 8, 2015

Sr. Anastasia B. Lindawati, M.M.

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