The largest WYD delegation from the diocese of Hong Kong

Bishop John Tong Commissioning the 800 strong
Hong Kong Delegation for the WYD

Over 800 young people and 21 priests from Hong Kong left on August 5, for Madrid to attend World Youth Day (WYD). The participation in the WYD has a larger delegation of young people compared to the previous World Youth Day

Some of the Youth from Hong Kong with the Chinese flag at the WYD, in Madrid

On July 31, Mgr. John Tong, Bishop of Hong Kong, officially gave the mandate to the participants with a Mass in the Chapel of Christ the King at St. Paul’s School, concelebrated by 21 priests of the delegation.

The Hong Kong - China Delegation

Hong Kong was represented by more than 200 young people from the diocese under the direction of the Diocesan Youth Pastoral Commission and were joined by 600 other young people from 14 local youth communities, parishes, religious institutions, Catholic schools and ecclesial movements.

Bro. CJ [extreme left], Fr. Arturo [second from left] and Winnie [extreme right] were part of the Chinese, Taiwan, Japan Claretian delegation the WYD

Reflection of a Chinese seminarian who participated in the WJD

“Simon, son of John, do you love me?” This was the first sentence that deeply touched me in the opening mass of WJD though I was far from the altar. And when asked, Peter did not even think about it as he immediately responded, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus continually asked him three times and he answered the same. This question could be Jesus’ asking everyone, especially those present at the opening mass.

We must have been asked this question several times in our lives, most probably by our friends or girlfriend, and by those whom we love. I clearly remember my past girlfriends asking me this question and I was like Peter as I replied, “Yes, of course, you know how much I love you,” but I actually did not. Now, probably because of my age and my relationship with Jesus Christ, I know the weight this question carries because once you answer this question, you will have to carry a heavy responsibility. Love needs sacrifice, love needs offering, it needs action, and the courage to overcome a lot of difficulties one has never imagined. I believe that when Peter answered Jesus’ question, he never thought he would sacrifice his life and even die on the cross.

The Gospel in the opening mass of WJD made me deeply reflect on this. I thought that perhaps John Paul II began this WJD for the youth of the world to wake their hearts up, and I for one has truly benefited from it.

Another moment that deeply touched me most was our vigil with the Holy Father on August 21. It was very hot that afternoon and then, it got very cold in the evening, and I was very hungry, even as many of us really suffered a lot that night. We slept in our wet sleeping sacks, which felt awfully uncomfortable, but everyone stayed and did not leave. I do not know why. Maybe because many others did not leave, or because of the Pope, or because of the love of God, or the power of the Spirit of God. No matter what the reason was, it was an amazing experience for me. …
Although the WJD 2011 had finished, I think it is just beginning, and I have to bring this experience to my real life. In everything that happened, I know that God was there, and he is very close with me. I thank God for giving me my vocation to be a Claretian missionary, which is truly a very good gift from him.
Amen!

Fr. Jose completes two years of Chinese Classes

Fr. Jose [Extreme right] together with some of his Chinese Classmates

This August, I have completed two years of Cantonese classes at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Although no where near an average speaker of this version of Chinese, I still feel excited with the fact that I am through with the numerous assignments, talks, quizzes and tests in the University.

However, the two years in the University was indeed a welcome-break from all the other assignments. Its true: being with the students keeps one young! After years of lecturing, it was fun to be at the 'receiving end'!


Having said that, the inability to understand, respond, read and write Chinese still poses the 'great wall' to be scaled to enter into the hearts of the Chinese! Hope and pray that the same Spirit which enabled the listeners of St. Peter to understand everything what he said on the day of the Pentecost, may work in all who listen to my Chinese!

40 years in "the Service of the Word"

August 15 is a special day for Catholics all over the world. The Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Assumption of Our Lady into Heaven. But for all of us at Macau, we had more reasons than one to make it a solemnity: It was the 87th birthday of late Fr. Bernardo Hurault, the man behind the concept of "the Christian Community Bible". And as an icing on the cake, this was also the 40th anniversary of the Priestly Ordination of Fr. Rossa. Wow! What a day to celebrate! We thank God for the gifts of Persons such as late Fr. Bernardo and Fr. Rossa to the Church, to the Claretian Community and specially to the Church in China! Thank you Fr. Rossa for the witness of life you share!

We received a beautiful felicitation on the occasion from a very significant person - Mr. Li Chunnong, the one who handles all our printing works at the Amity Press at Nanjing, China. To the lines of Mr. Chunnong:

Dear All,

It is a joyful time for us to join the triple celebration, especially the celebration of 40th year of Fr. Rossa in the priesthood and his ministry.

We have been working together for more than 13 years since 1998 if I am correct. Through so many years experiences of working together, from business relationship to partner relationship and now the friendship has been built upon on the trust and the experiences of bad and good and the time of sad and joy that we always being together to face.

Amity's today, if we still could be proud of it, cannot forget about this very important person, his kind, tolerance, encouragement and other good human characteristics gave us confidence which was very important at the early stage when Amity doing export business.

We do believe this relationship will continue and last forever and it is very lucky for all of us that he is in good health shape. We can enjoy time together to see the Bibles been printed and distributed worldwide.

Take care my Friend!

Chunnong

Barbastro House – China and the 75th anniversary

On Sunday August 14
our “Barbastro” house in Zhuhai (China)

was the venue to celebrate
our Barbastro Martyr’s 75th anniversary
and the 40th anniversary
of Alberto’s ordination to the priesthood.

Our publications

Most of the work done as a publishing house in China resembles an iceberg. Only a tiny part of it is visible.

The main work of translating the complete Bible into modern Chinese keeps a team of about 15 Chinese scholars and editors busy. As we write this month’s blog, the Four Gospels, including a new translation of the text, introductions, commentaries and Lectio Divina guide is going to the press in Chinese traditional characters. A book of 800 pages. Here is the cover:

First page of the Gospel of Mark in traditional characters (Gospel text on the left and commentaries on the right)

At the same time we are also sending to the press the simplified Chinese version that is to be distributed inside China. For mainland China we are printing the four Gospels separately. Here is the cover of the Gospel of Matthew, also with new commentaries and a guide for Lectio Divina.

First page of the Gospel of Matthew in simplified characters

(Of course you saw the difference between traditional

and simplified characters, right?)

As you can see (!), on the left is the bible text, and on the right is the Lectio Divina guide and commentaries.

There are, at the moment, some 12 more Chinese titles (besides the Bible) in preparation for publication.

We, missionaries, are foreigners. The evangelization in China has to be done by the Chinese. Through publications, especially on the Bible, and internet materials available free online we help in the formation of evangelizers and grassroots people. Take a look at: www.bibleclaret.org

Life is a mirror

Mahatma Gandhi was asked,
what are the factors that destroy a person.

He replied:
Politics without principles, 

Pleasure without obligation, 

Wealth without work, 

Wisdom without character, 

Business without morality, 

Science without humanity
and 
Prayer without charity.

Life has taught me that the people are friendly,
if I am kind; 
people are sad, if I’m sad; 
they are all bad,
if I hate them; 
there are smiling faces,
if I were to smile; 
sour faces there,
if I’m bitter; 
the world is happy,
if I’m happy; 
that people are angry,
if I’m grumpy; 
that people are grateful, if I am grateful!

Life is like a mirror:
If I smile, the mirror smiles back at me!
Whoever wants to be loved, has to love!!!

Welcome to the Macau - China Bulletin, August 2011

Macau bids farewell to the ‘Father of the Poor’

Father Luis Ruiz Suarez, who dedicated his entire life to needy people in Macau and mainland China, died on 26 July 2011 at the age of 97. The Spanish Jesuit, whose Cantonese name was “Luk Ngai,” was the founder of Caritas Macau.

Paul Pun Chi-meng, secretary general of Caritas Macau, remembered Father Ruiz’s selfless service, saying that “He was a pragmatic man. He never spread the Gospel with words, but I saw Jesus whenever I saw him.”

Father Ruiz, SJ seen with Fr. Tom Peyton, MM [extreme right]
in one of the Leprosy Treatment centers in China

The obituary prepared by Caritas honored his lifelong contribution while urging people from all walks of life to emulate his spirit to serve the needy in the community.

Born in 1913, Father Ruiz joined the Jesuits in 1930. His missionary work in China began in 1941. It was interrupted by the Second Sino-Japanese War, and resumed after the war ended in 1945. When the Communists took control of China in 1949, he was imprisoned briefly and expelled from the country.

He was told by his Jesuit provincial to stay in Macau, at the time a Portuguese colony, to recover from typhoid, which he contracted in prison, but within a month he was already working with refugees.

This picture with Father Ruiz was taken
on 29 June this year, at the Centenary Year
Celebrations of the Maryknolls in Stanly, Hong Kong

Later he founded the Casa Ricci Social Service in Macau. It was later turned into Caritas Macau, which he began to operate in the 1970s and established five centers for the aged and for young men and women with mental disabilities.

He also enlisted the Sisters of Charity of St. Anne to help caring for the people with leprosy. He began his service for people with leprosy in neighboring Guangdong province in 1984. Ten years later, this service had grown so much that he handed the Caritas operation back to Macau diocese.

He had helped more than 8,000 patients and their children in about 140 leprosaria in various Chinese provinces. In 2005, Father Luis, in his 90s, accepted invitation from the Hunan provincial government to set up a caring center for HIV/AIDS patients.

- UCA News

The Following clipping is the first part of the Video "Source of Joy...story of Fr. Luis Ruiz of Macao" availbale in the Youtube

The Vatican's new blog for China: "Being Catholic in China"

The Vatican, through the Fides news agency, has started a blog aimed at Chinese Catholics, hoping to provide a space for information, dialogue, exchange and educational material, said reports on Fides and the Vatican Insider.

The Being Catholic in China blog was created in “order to facilitate an exchange between the brothers and sisters of the Roman Catholic Church in China”, its subheading states.

The first issue discussed in both Chinese and English, regards the latest illegal Episcopal ordination, meaning without a papal mandate, approved by Beijing’s authorities, the Vatican Insider states. This blog will also be an instrument of unity of the Church in China with all the Churches in the world and the Universal Church, according to Fides.

Faith Press, China, is 20 years old!

Faith Press, the largest Catholic publishing house in China, is celebrating 20 years of service to the Church in China. In addition to publishing books, the Faith Press has a newspaper, with a circulation of 60,000 copies every ten days and reaches all corners of the country.

The Claretian Publications' editorial work in China is connected to the Faith Press. "The Daily Gospel 2012", published in Chinese is published in China in association with the Faith Press. The book, prepared by our Chinese editorial team, is distributed throughout China by Faith Press. This year 55,000 copies have been printed for distribution within China. In addition, there have been special editions for Chinese living in other countries.