Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Hong Kong (Agenzia Fides) – “Accompanying the elderly and disabled in the Church is a vocation. The volunteers have given of their time and, most of all, their love in this service. Thus, I think that it must be a direct calling from the Lord. In this manner, our parish family can all joyfully meet in the Father’s house.” These were the comments made by the Charitable Service Association at Saint Francis Parish in Hong Kong, in their 5-month evaluation of the work they carry out in accompanying the elderly and disabled of the parish to Sunday Mass. According to Kong Ko Bao (the Chinese version of the Diocesan bulletin), in response to the progressive aging of the people in the neighborhood and the parish, last April the parish began offering a service where members of the parish go and bring the elderly and disabled from their homes to the Mass on Sunday. The elderly are very happy and deeply moved by the initiative. One of them commented, saying, “we were stranded in our homes because of our age and illnesses. Now, in returning to the parish, we have been able to maintain an authentic faith life and we feel the warmth of the parish. We no longer feel alone; neither physically nor spiritually.” (NZ) (Agenzia Fides 3/9/2008)
