events

St. Vincent's Celebrates 50th Anniversary

Last year St. Vincent’s in Hang Hau marks five decades of Eucharistic celebrations in the current church building. In December of 1969, the present-day St. Vincent’s Church was completed, and Mass began to be held in English for the foreign community as well as in Cantonese.

The history of St. Vincent’s, however, stretches further back. Established as a parish in 1958 to serve the local community, St. Vincent’s was originally under the CICM (Scheut) Fathers, who along with the ICM Sisters and other religious, emulated our patron saint by striving to improve the lives of villagers. Working together with local residents, they first built a school that allowed the children of fishing families to complete primary education, as well as a chapel, a clinic, and houses for the poor; and helped to bring electricity and running water to the area. They also worked in education and health and social services throughout Hong Kong.

Following the development of the Hang Hau area, in 2008 St. Vincent’s became part of St. Andrew’s Parish, and now serves as its English-language Mass Centre.

The community is highly international; the majority hail from the Philippines or from Hong Kong, but others come from Indonesia, Korea, mainland China, India, Malaysia, Singapore, the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Brazil, Canada, the US, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Ghana, Italy, Nigeria, and other parts of the world.

These fifty years of international fellowship was commemorated on September 29, 2019, on the occasion of the feast of St. Vincent, an anniversary Mass presided over by Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun. It was followed by a potluck lunch and party in the church hall with many old parishioners as well as new community members participated.

MESSAGES

Congratulations to the 50th anniversary of St. Vincent’s Church

This year, 2019, we are full of joy to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of St. Vincent’s Church. This is a good opportunity to give thanks to God for all the blessings and graces He bestowed upon us in the past fifty years. Many non-Catholic people got to know God and were baptized here. Many couples got the blessing of marriage here. Moreover, so many other wonderful events happened in the past of this vivid community.

I am deeply grateful to all of you because your dedication and service to this house of God are most admirable. Each one of you have a very busy life, working for long hours both in your working areas and at home. In spite of this busy lifestyle, you are still willing to spend your free time to render your unselfish service. I am deeply moved by your generosity and dedicated service.

The rock on which this community is built not of stone but each one of you with a steadfast faith, sincere love for others and unfailing hope that we together cannot fail. Many thanks to all who had put their sincere effort to build up our community from the beginning unto today.

Let us continue to spread the Gospel to those who have not yet experienced the wonder of God’s grace. Before the Ascension of Christ, He left his words to his disciples, ‘I am always with you to the end of time.’ His words come true in this living community.

Rev. Kwok Wai Ki, Jacob

Parish Priest

Dear St. Vincent Community,

Let us dig deeply in our hearts to give thanks to the Holy Trinity of All-Goodness who is always coming and came towards us in Jesus when we came and are coming together in that lovely chapel above Hang Hau Village, now part of the big town, then blessed with a blue sea at its shore or threatened by big waves by stormy weather, with the little tower not able to hold a heavy bell but always echoing the laughter of playing children and caring parents, always ready to paint the fence or hang out the little flags or decorate the rooms, set the table, bake the cakes, instruct the servers of the Mass and all this to celebrate their cooperation, their community spirit, their great generosity, their willingness to forgive, their readiness to accept newcomers, their openness to new initiatives, their longing for deeper spirituality, missionary concerns, liturgical sobriety and always being a singing community!

All this to become day by day daily bread for one another kneaded together with the Bread that Jesus is breaking with us to join the thanksgiving for the world of Goodness that we may join and live if we do not live to destroy it.

Alleluia for the next 50 years: sing Alleluia!

Fr. Willy Hertecant, CICM

Former priest-in-charge of St. Vincent's
1977, 1980-2008

ADDRESS

DD 224, Lot 352,
Hang Hau Road
Clearwater Bay, Hong Kong

CONTACTS
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +852 2719 8750

LINKS
St. Andrew's Parish
Hong Kong Diocese
The Holy See
Daily Readings

ST. VINCENT'S CHURCH

(English Mass)

All public Masses are temporarily suspended until further notice.

ST. ANDREW'S CHURCH

(Cantonese Mass)

All public Masses are temporarily suspended until further notice.

EVENTS

St. Vincent's Celebrates 50th Anniversary

MESSAGES

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ST. VINCENT'S CHURCH

ST. ANDREW'S CHURCH

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