Posted on 04/09/2012 6:48:58 AM PDT by marshmallow
There are 39 paid catechists and 1500 volunteer catechists. Evangelization a pastoral priority for Card. Tong. The story of Janet, who will be baptized tonight, along with her younger brother.
Hong Kong (AsiaNews) - This Easter, 3,500adult catechumens in the Hong Kong diocese will receive the Sacrament of Christian Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Communion) at various parishes at the Holy Saturday Vigil today, April 7.
In his Easter Pastoral Letter 2012, Cardinal John Tong of Hong Kong specially thanks priests, deacons, sisters and laypeople to offer their time and energy in teaching catechism. The catechists "not only carry out the mission of evangelization of the Church, but also strengthen their own faith," the 72-year-old bishop said.
According to the diocesan statistics of Aug. 31, 2011, there are 39 paid catechists and more than 1,500 voluntary catechists. Local Catholic population comprises 363,000 Chinese and 138,000 non-Chinese.
On March 3, Card.Tong stated evangelization as one of his pastoral concerns. "Certainly, the rise in the number of Catholics is gratifying, but the quality of their faith is equally essential," he said, hoping his faithful will progress both in the quantity and the quality of faith.
Card. Tong encouraged the new Catholics to grow in faith. He cited a middle-aged volunteer catechist who was baptized three years ago. The catechist was touched by the words of St. Augustine in the "Confessions": "Oh, too late have I loved thee,... too late have I loved thee." After baptism, the catechist lives a simple life, and he studied a course on catechetics and became a volunteer catechist. Now, he plans to study more to deepen his faith, the Easter message says.
(Excerpt) Read more at asianews.it ...
Praise God for that Easter miracle!
WELCOME new Christian Catholics!
Praise the Lord for 3500 new Christians!
I'm the RCIA "Make-up Lesson Teacher" in my parish --- I'm the one who fills in to do the do-overs when a caechumen misses the regular lesson. This year one of the students could attend almost none of the "regular" lessons because of schedule conflicts, so she had to have almost all of her lessons one-on-one with me.
It was a struggle because she was coping with chronic serious health issues (both her own and those of her two children) plus an extremely stressful divorce from her atheist husband who seems determined to turn her kids both against her and against God. Well, she finally made it to Baptism, looking like a bedraggled little lamb snatched back from cliff's edge by the one Good Shepherd who really loves her. It made my heart glad. Just one, you know, just one, can mean so much.
I'm the RCIA "Make-up Lesson Teacher" in my parish --- I'm the one who fills in to do the do-overs when a caechumen misses the regular lesson. This year one of the students could attend almost none of the "regular" lessons because of schedule conflicts, so she had to have almost all of her lessons one-on-one with me.
It was a struggle because she was coping with chronic serious health issues (both her own and those of her two children) plus an extremely stressful divorce from her atheist husband who seems determined to turn her kids both against her and against God. Well, she finally made it to Baptism, looking like a bedraggled little lamb snatched back from cliff's edge by the one Good Shepherd who really loves her. It made my heart glad. Just one, you know, just one, can mean so much.
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