Letter of Introduction: Deacon Louis Wong

My first encounter with God was in 1976, when I was in primary school at Rosaryhill School. Without much understanding about God, I secretly followed other classmates to the chapel before exams and dipped my little finger in the holy water, believing that God would bless me with good grades. My academic performance was satisfactory, and I was fortunate to enter Wah Yan College, Hong Kong, after graduation, where I was nurtured by the Jesuits and promptly responded to the call of God by joining the catechism class in 1986. I received the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults and began my faith journey, participating in the school's prayer group and altar server group, as well as the choir at Holy Cross Church. In 1991, I entered the University of Hong Kong and served as the external affairs vice-Chairman of the Catholic Society. I also resided in Ricci Hall for three years, where I continued to be nurtured by the Jesuits. In 1994, after graduation, I completed the Diploma in Religious Studies program and began teaching Sunday school at the Mother of Christ Church while also serving as the choir director. I met my wife, Michele Liu, at the Catholic Society and were married in the Sacrament of Matrimony in 1996.

God blessed our family with two gifts in 1998 and 2001: our eldest daughter Portia and our second daughter Jessica. Until 2006, my wife and I spent most of our time on the small but heavy tasks in raising our two daughters and at work. Our family's faith life gradually declined and became dull. I only fulfilled my basic responsibilities as a Sunday church-goer at St. Margaret's Church without participating in any charitable or faith-based organizations. My faith life was not nourished, and I often felt lost in my life. I lost my sense of direction and purpose. It was in these dry days of faith that God called me once again. A poster on the bulletin board at St. Margaret's Church drew my attention, and I responded to the Holy Spirit's call: "Do you want to be a permanent deacon?" After my 35th birthday, I made up my mind to submit an application for permanent deacon. In 2007, I was enrolled as an aspirant at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. After being accepted as a Candidate as a permanent deacon in 2008, I began to study for a Bachelor of Religious Studies at the Holy Spirit Seminary.At the same time, we were blessed with our third daughter, Gloria. In 2010, I was deployed to St. Jude's Church, mainly to receive training in pastoral work and ministry. In the same year, I received the Ministry of Lector in the Holy Cross Church. In 2011, I was appointed to the Marriage and Family Pastoral Committee. We were blessed again by God's love with our fourth daughter, Vania. In the same year, I received the Ministry of Acolyte at St. Jude's Church. In 2012, I completed the four years basic theological training at the Holy Spirit Seminary, graduating from the Department of Religious Studies with the honor of "Magna cum Laude Probatus". On 16 November 2013, I was ordained to the diaconate by Cardinal John Tong Hon, Bishop Emeritus.

As a permanent deacon, I am called to be a person of communion and service. During the six-year period of my formation, I was given opportunities to cultivate my ability to establish good relationships with others. This also comes along with a considerable degree of emotional maturity, allowing love to be the center of my life. This is especially essential for my wife and me to learn to accept and love at all times, to educate our four daughters and to demonstrate the communion of our family to the church and society. One of the most distinctive elements of deacon spiritual formation is to discover and share the love of Christ's servants, "not to be served, but to serve." Gratitude is the source of this spiritual formation, and the sacrament of gratitude expresses the characteristic of the deacon's ministry. Deacons embody the grace of service, participate in church duties such as administering sacraments and serving at the altar, preaching the Gospel and teaching doctrine, and actively participating in and accepting the training and internship that help fulfill these duties, as well as cultivating a strong sense of evangelism.