Marco Carvalho
The Bishop Emeritus of the neighbouring Diocese of Hong Kong, Cardinal John Hon Tong, presided over a Solemn Eucharist at Saint Joseph’s Church on Sunday, March 19. The Mass was part of the 23rd anniversary celebration of the Saint Joseph’s Seminary Alumni Association. The former students of the religious institution celebrated the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, their patron and patron saint of the Universal Church.
The ceremony, which took place at the Church of the Seminary of Saint Joseph, was con-celebrated by three other priests. Apart from Cardinal Tong, the Mass was celebrated by Father José Lau along with the current chaplain of the São Januário Hospital, Father José Ángel Hernández as well as Father Francisco Barreto, a Timorese priest who was visiting his brother, maestro Simão Barreto.
The Church of Saint Joseph proved too small for such a large gathering. The celebration of the Solemnity of Saint Joseph was the perfect opportunity to bring together former students of the seminary, both from Macau and from abroad. The 23rd anniversary of the Alumni Association was commemorated later that same day, with a convivial dinner that was attended by around one hundred people. The organization elected its new board of directors at the conclusion of the meeting.
“The celebration continued in the evening, with around one hundred people gathering at a Chinese restaurant. The dinner brought together members from Macau and a few others from abroad. During the meeting, prizes were drawn, some of the participants took to the stage to perform songs of their choice and, in between, a general assembly was held with a new board of directors being elected unanimously,” Mr. Rufino Ramos, president of the General Assembly of the Saint Joseph’s Seminary Alumni Association, stated on his Facebook post.
Speaking to O Clarim, Ramos said, “The Association favours initiatives that might reinforce solidarity and friendship among its members. It will probably organize its annual meeting, and take part in religious celebrations. But we also might organize an excursion abroad or take part in a spiritual retreat.”
Established in 1999, in the months leading to Macau’s return to Chinese sovereignty, the Association was created with the aim of strengthening the bonds that unite the former students of the Seminary of Saint Joseph. Born in neighbouring Hong Kong on July 31, 1939, Cardinal John Hon Tong is one of the most outstanding former alumni of the institution.
“With regards to His Eminence, it was a splendid surprise that he accepted the invitation we sent him by letter. It was an enormous honour to be able to celebrate the Eucharist with a former colleague. I am quite sure that for the local Catholics, it was also a great joy to take part in a Mass that was celebrated by a Cardinal,” Mr. Ramos said.
The Bishop Emeritus of Hong Kong had also presided over the ceremonies for the Solemnity of Saint Joseph in 2015 and 2016.
In an interview with O Clarim in 2016, Cardinal Tong had reminisced his times as a student in Macau: “I was lucky to come to the Seminary, where I was given the opportunity to study, to learn moral and ethical values and to discover my vocation. From Macau, I went to Hong Kong, where I studied Philosophy and Theology. From there, I went to Rome. I returned to Hong Kong already ordained as a priest.”
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