'austraLasia' #87

PRIESTLY ORDINATION: HONG KONG

by Fr. Domingos Leong

HONG KONG: June 27, 1998 -- Deacon Joseph CHOW Pak-fai was ordained

priest byCardinal John Baptist WU, the bishop of Hong Kong on June 27 in

the Cathedral with Mons. Joseph Zen, Salesian coadjutor bishop of HK,

with another 80 priests and over 1000 Christians in attendance. Fr.

Joseph CHOW is the only boy, (he has a younger sister) in his family.

Quite something for a Chinese family to 'lose' their only son, a fact

that the newly ordained expressed gratitude for to his family in the

celebrations aftwerwards.

Fr. Joseph Chow shared his vocation experience with the Formation

Community together with about 120 young people, coming from Salesian

schools but mainly from the parishes he is serving and has served in the

past few years. He told them that his vocation mainly came from his

primary school in St. Louis School where Fr. Gelosa, (a missionary now

returned to Itlay), planted the thought many years ago.

Fr. Joseph said he is the last Chinese Salesian who will be ordained

priest in this century, so he urged all young people to be courageous to

"respond" to God's call even there may be difficulties ahead of them,

and to have trust in God.

The next priestly ordination is likely to be in 2001.