Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Hong Kong (Fides Service) - In view of the World Youth Day organised by the universal Church to be held this time in Germany, the diocese of Hong Kong has organised various initiatives to help its young people participate more fully ideally and also in person. In fact 120 lucky young people will travel to Cologne this August for the event. One of the most recent preparatory initiatives was a two day camp with the slogan “discovering treasure to offer the Lord” during which the youngsters took a short course in German and prepared a short theatre piece to perform in front of the other young participants from all over the world.
Fr Joseph Chan Wing Chiu who will lead the Hong Kong delegation to this the 20th World Youth Day event said the aim of the camp was to help the young people have a clearer understanding of their identity and for each to discover a special ‘treasure’ to offer the Lord. In fact the theme of the WYD is “we have come to adore Him” which is what the Three Wise Men who came from afar to worship Jesus said when they found the new born King for whom they brought symbolic gifts of gold, incense and myrrh. Relics of the Three Wise Men are preserved in Cologne Cathedral.
Besides German the young people studied the history of the Catholic Church in Hong Kong and the situation between Hong Kong and mainland China and relations with mainland China. Fr Chan encouraged the young people to “imitate the Three Wise Men by making their journey, physical or spiritual, a pilgrimage of prayer and meditation to offer their treasures, themselves to God”.
(Agenzia Fides 21/06/2005 Righe: 23 Parole: 232)
