ASIA/HONG KONG - The parish of Our Lady of Lourdes, of the Missions Étrangères de Paris, celebrates 130 years of its missionary history

Friday, 13 February 2026 mission evangelization youth the elderly missionary institutes

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CHINA

2026-02-13
The parish of Our Lady of Lourdes, of the Missions Étrangères de Paris, celebrates 130 years of its missionary history

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Hong Kong (Agenzia Fides) – With a Marian procession and the sending forth of young missionaries, accompanied by the presentation of a Bible, as a sign of continuity with the evangelizing work of the parish community, which began 130 years ago by missionaries of the Missions Étrangères de Paris (MEP), the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes in the Pok Fu Lam district of Hong Kong celebrated its patronal feast day on Saturday, February 7, commemorating the beginning of its history, which started thanks to the passion of the missionaries who came from France.

According to the diocesan magazine "Kung Kao Po," the liturgical celebration for the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes (which is celebrated on February 11) was presided over by the Bishop of Hong Kong, Cardinal Stephen Chow Sau Yan. In his homily, Cardinal Chow encouraged all parishes in the diocese to have faith in young people and to walk alongside them: “I give thanks for the many young people present in the Church. Let us allow them to help us so that the Gospel may be passed on.”
In the presence of the parish priest, Christopher Chor Yuk Wa, and the Provincial Superior of the Society for Foreign Missions for the Province of Hong Kong, Father Matthieu Masson, the community reflected on the history of their parish, which began with the work of the French missionaries.
The Cardinal emphasized that the parish's long journey has been accompanied by the Virgin Mary and highlighted the importance of continuing on this path into the future, imploring the help of Our Lady of Lourdes, and bearing witness to the love and communion of the Sacred Heart. The Bishop of Hong Kong recalled the urgent needs of the parish and the entire diocese, addressing in particular the generational shift in parish life. He encouraged the older members to make way for the younger ones. Cardinal Chow expressed his conviction that the young people of the parish respect history and, in response to the challenges of our time, will find new ways to proclaim the Gospel. He also encouraged them to listen to and learn from the experiences of past generations.
In 1875, the Missions Étrangères de Paris founded the Bethany Monastery (now the Bethany Campus of the Hong Kong Academy of the Performing Arts). In 1885, the missionaries built the Nazareth Printing House and the Chapel of Our Lady of Lourdes (the original church). In 1982, the Parish of Our Lady of Lourdes moved to its current location in Chi Fu Park. The new church in Pok Fu Lam was consecrated in 1983. (Agenzia Fides, 13/2/2026)