Becoming a candle in their darkened lives

The story goes back to 2007- 08, when Fr. Jojo was still a student of Chinese language in the Chinese University. He used to live with Fr. Tom Payton, a Maryknoll Missionary priest who used to visit the centers for leprosy affected in the Mainland. Fr. Tom would take Fr. Jojo along with him during those trips from Hong Kong. Years later in 2009 when Jojo moved to Macau as the Assistant Parish priest in St. Lawrence Church, he began to visit the centres for the leprosy affected with a group of friends from Hong Kong and Macau.

Fr. Jojo and Rose with a leprosy affected 

As the years passed by, the group of friends under the guidance of Jojo picked one of the centers in the South China as their mission project, with regular visits and accompaniment. The inmates of the centre who were neglected and discarded by the families and the society found new joy and comfort in the presence of these few friends from Macau and Hong Kong. 

The group from Macau-Hong Kong would pray, eat and live with them during their visits to the centre. Slowly they came up with the idea of setting up a charity under the title - Candle Light - under the aegis of the Claretian Missionaries. 

Jessica with one of the inmates of the Centre 

As they grew in confidence and relationship, many of the inmates began to open up their stories of pain and despair with their new-found friends, some of the stories - painful to digest, while some others - so inspiring! Those moving and inspiring stories made the group realise that these stories are priceless gems and must be preserved. Thus they came up with the idea of publishing these stories so that their friends and well-wishers back in Hong Kong and Macau would know them too. 

Bishop Stepehn Lee Bun-sang, Bishop of Macau, releasing the book by Candle Light 

Ms. Rose, the author with Bishop Lee during the book releasing in Macau 

The group Candle Light, consisting of Rose, Gloria, Jessica, Manna and Sandy came out with their first ever book, published in the first week of April. They appreciate any sort of assistance people can render in their mission for being a Candle Light in the darkened lives those those less privileged leprosy affected. Visit them in their fb page:                                              https://www.facebook.com/CandleLight19700515/?fref=ts