> About Oblates
Divine Mercy Sunday at Notre Dame Parish
It was truly a blessing for Notre Dame to have been graced with the presence of The Most Reverend John Tong Hon, who has newly been installed as Bishop of Hong Kong on April 16, 2009, to host the “Divine Mercy Sunday” Mass on April 19, 2009.
Fr. Ireneusz Dampc, Acting Parish Priest of OMI in Notre Dame Parish, concelebrated the Mass together with Fr. Joseph So, SDB, Fr. Jaroslaw Duraj, SJ and other OMI priests: Fr. Stanislaus Sun, Fr. John Chai and Fr. Tomek Sypion.
The Divine Mercy Sunday Mass commenced at 10 a.m. Despite heavy downpour of rain that morning, over 600 parishioners attended. During the Homily, Bishop John Tong shared his journey of faith. He started off by saying he was born before World War II and that during his childhood, he was influenced and inspired by his Parish Priest who was a foreign missionary.
This made him consider in pursuing the vocation of becoming a priest. Bishop John Tong continued to name several bibliographies as examples, saying that parishioners are evangelists who are responsible to spread the belief and faith in the Divine Mercy.
The first person Bishop Tong cited was Bishop Gu Zhi Guo from Shi Jia Zhung, Heibei. Bishop Gu had been arrested several times because he met and coordinated with another Bishop in the nation, intending to put the Vatican’s Divine Mercy into practice in accord with the mission.The second person was the late Pope John Paul II, who had widely spread the Divine Mercy of St. Sr. Faustina. Bishop John Tong Hon exalted Pope John Paul II because even when he was already unable to speak the Wednesday before he passed away, he still insisted to sit by the window to greet the thousands of faithful. This act was, no doubt, a display of his great attitude of love and good virtue.
The third person was St. Mother Teresa, who untiringly and lovingly served the poor and underprivileged throughout her life. Her bibliography to spread the Divine Mercy was the best example. Lastly, Bishop John Tong Hon reminded all parishioners to respect the Divine Mercy as a testimony.
At noon, more than 300 parishioners gathered in the Church again, praying Chinese Divine Mercy prayers. Then by 3 p.m., there were likewise the same number of expatriate parishioners who joined the English Divine Mercy prayers. Parishioners offered their devout prayers through wonderful singing too.
There were no boundaries of race or religion in the worship of the Divine Mercy. Throughout the whole day of Mass and the ceremony of Divine Mercy prayers, priests of different nationalities listened to confessions in different languages, such as Cantonese, English and Putonghua.
At 3:30 p.m., a Filipino Divine Mercy Sunday Mass was celebrated by Fr. Ronnie Yap Gicalao, OMI. More than 300 parishioners attended. At 4 p.m., an English Thanksgiving Mass was also celebrated by Fr. Ireneusz Dampc, OMI. Over 600 expatriate parishioners joined the Mass. After Mass, Fr. Ireneusz reposed the portrait of the reverent Divine Mercy together with the relic of St. Sr. Faustina’s to the chapel.
