9 Jan 2021
In the afternoon of 9 January, Cardinal John Tong presided at the Order for the Blessing of the Thy Kingdom Come Online Exhibition and Charity Bidding – the first of its kind for the Diocese of Hong Kong.
Cardinal Tong gave thanks to the Lord for His Grace, and to his predecessors for their endeavors to have sown the seeds of the Gospel in the soil of Chinese civilization allowing God’s love to foster and grow there.
He said, “Today we pleasantly experience the integration of the Gospel in Chinese calligraphy and painting. Through these art pieces, the truth, goodness and beauty of the Gospel are unfolded. We are grateful to the Lord for bestowing on His people different talents and graces. In addition to words, through visual presentation of calligraphies and paintings, we experience God’s presence in us which in turn, transforms us and gives us strength to be His witness in life.”
Participants of the exhibition include Sr Laura Watt, Rev John Tsang, Rev Joseph Yim, Rev Edward Chau, Rev William Yip, Rev Joseph Tham, Rev Nicolas de Francqueville and Deacon Francis Fung. Their works bring out faith, the meaning of life and our being in this world, enabling viewers to deliberate on the mystery of the Heavenly Kingdom, thereby fortifying our faith, hope and love.
Rev. Benedict Lam, Chairperson of the Diocesan Fund-raising Commission for Church Building and Development, thanked all participating clergy and religious for donating their art pieces, and Parish Priest of the Cathedral Rev Dominic Chan for his collaboration. He hoped faithful and those interested would be nourished in the process and actively participate in the bidding. They could bring home an art piece to their liking while supporting the Diocese’s fund-raising initiatives at the same time.
Due to the pandemic, it is not possible for the Diocese to hold a physical exhibition. Rev Benedict encouraged faithful to visit the exhibition online. Information uploaded include a virtual tour, descriptive notes of the exhibits, and the sharing of participants.
Bidding commenced immediately following the Blessing and will end at 5:00 pm on 31 January.