East Anglian Cantonese community mark anniversary

The Cantonese speaking Catholic community from a number of parishes in the East Anglia Diocese and adjacent towns and cities marked one year of celebrating Mass and other devotions in Cantonese, at Our Lady of Lourdes, Sawston (OLOL) on April 15, reports Dominic Chung.

We celebrated a sung Easter Octave Mass, followed by an Eucharistic Adoration and Benediction. At the Parish Hall afterwards, we shared in the joy of those who had been baptised or received into the Church recently: three adults and three children under 10. And, we celebrated a baby’s first birthday.

Our beloved Canon Hoan Minh Nguyen (康铭恩神父) has been celebrating a Cantonese Mass, monthly since April 7, 2022. His pastoral generosity is encouraging us to engage more deeply in our home parishes whilst promoting the wonderful Cantonese Mass liturgy and sacred music.

Highlights of the year include Canon Hoan celebrating a Mass on the Feast of The Martyrs of China at Our Lady of the Assumption and the English Martyrs Cambridge (OLEM) on July 9;  Deacon Gianluca Savini proclaimed the Beatitudes in Cantonese, for the first time.

Also, the Apostolic Nuncio to Malta, His Excellency Archbishop Savio Hon SDB visiting us in Cambridge and celebrating a special Lunar New Year Pontifical Mass at OLEM on January 29 this year. 

In the past 12 months, we were privileged to have also received pastoral visits from Fr Lawrence Lee, The Chancellor of Hong Kong Catholic Diocese and Fr Francis Ching of Toronto, Canada. They both celebrated two Masses apiece, in Fr Lawrence’s case, once in English. 

We are forever grateful to Monsignor Provost Eugene Harkness of OLEM for his ongoing support and encouragement. Also to Bishop Alan, Bishop Peter and Dcn Gianluca who has been with us along this journey of faith.

To be able to pray and sing to the Glory of God in our first language is illuminating as well as comforting. We shall never forget chanting in Cantonese the Te Deum, the Magnificat and the Tantum Ergo Sacramentum, at OLEM, at the Clare Priory and at OLOL.

Thanks indeed be to God (感謝天主).  Alleluja!

Pictured above are some of the Cantonese community at the celebration in Sawston.

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