HONG KONG (SE): A celebration of the 50th year of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal was held at the hall of the Sing Yin Secondary School in Clearwater Bay Road, Kowloon, on August 13. 
 
Around 1,000 people from the Chinese- and English-speaking charismatic communities gathered for the occasion.
 
The Chinese-speaking community ran a songs of praise session prior to a worship session led by Jing Mendoza, from the Loved Flock Charismatic Community.
 
A guest speaker from the United States of America (US) addressed the theme of The Call for Holiness and Mission. 
 
He pointed out that the path to holiness lies in loving the Lord our God with our whole mind and whole heart, and our neighbour as ourselves. Growing in holiness is growing in love.
 
He quoted Pope John Paul II as saying that our spiritual journey depends on God’s grace and our effort to move on. Painful purification is part of a process of transformation. We need to know that all the effort and pain is worthwhile. No other journey can be more rewarding, because a spiritual one leads us deeper and deeper into union with the Lord.
 
He said responding to the signs of times is the mission of being Catholic, observing that today in vast areas of the world, the faith is in danger of dying out like a flame starved of fuel.
 
Darkness is setting in in many parts of the world and humanity is losing its bearing. He cited same sex marriage, which is allowed in most part of the US, as an example.
 
He encouraged the gathering to bear witness to God in such tough times.
 
Finally, he led the people in a prayer for any particular person we may hold dear in our heart.
 
The afternoon concluded with a Mass concelebrated by Bishop Joseph Ha Chi-shing and Father Johnson Dhos.