Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Hong Kong (Agenzia Fides) – In order to respond to the challenges facing the family today (especially the Christian family), with a vision of faith, the Hong Kong Family Movement is promoting Lenten fasting as an instrument for facing challenges and social temptations. According to the Kong Ko Bao (the Chinese version of the diocesan bulletin), the founder and spiritual director of the Movement, Fr. Giovanni Giampietro, PIME missionary, invited “families and youth to fast in order to strengthen their lives; renew their spirit so as to face the challenges and temptations. Any small act of self-denial is good for starting on the way to noble and high goals.” Thus, from February 25 (Ash Wednesday) to April 5, the Movement is inviting families to fill out a form on “Daily Love” with thoughts and reflections taken from their days of meditation and fasting, to later gather them all in the “Family Movement Home” (a cardboard box). In April, during the Easter celebrations and activities for the 15th anniversary of their foundation, all the forms will be offered to the Lord. Fr. Giampietro says that “as of today we have already distributed 30,000 Family Movement Homes.”
The Hong Kong Family Movement began 15 years ago – on the occasion of the International Year of the Family, to help Catholic couples to live marriage to the fullest and raise their children in the Christian faith, with the support of the Catholic community. The Diocesan Office for Lay Formation and Caritas Hong Kong are part of the organizational structure of the Movement, which was founded by the missionary Fr. Giovanni Giampietro. Today, there are 29 groups (with nearly 169 families) in 18 parishes in Hong Kong. They organize formation courses and a yearly camp, the Day of Family Unity...and more. The groups are not preparing to celebrate the 15th anniversary, which coincides with Easter this year. (NZ) (Agenzia Fides 23/2/2009)
