The following essay was originally contributed by parishioner Hubie Lem to the alumni news group of Regis High School, a Jesuit high school for young men in New York City.   Photo credit:  Chinahands, blog of the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers in China

True Story

In this day when so much news we hear about the Catholic Church and the US Government is negative, we all can get pretty cynical and depressed.  But the last couple of days, I learned of a true story that gives me so much renewed faith and hope, that I thought you would like to hear about it too. Especially since the good news ties together a Regis alumnus, a Maryknoll priest, a Jesuit college, the United States Government, and saving AIDS sufferers in Nairobi Kenya, where Regis has a relationship with St Aloysius.

The story starts with my parish of St Anne's Church in Stanley, on Hong Kong Island’s south side. We are very fortunate to have as our pastor Father Ed Phillips.  He's not a Jesuit, but graduated from Boston College (1968) so I guess that makes him okay.  Father Ed is a Maryknoll priest who spent 30 years in Africa before moving to Hong Kong in 2011.

Online pre-registration is now available for 2013-14 religious education classes here on the St. Anne's Website. 

This article provides all the information you need to get started!

The Religious Education Team would like to thank all of the teachers, student assistants, parents and students for making this a successful year of Religious Education at St. Annes.  We are pleased to announce that more than 300 children completed the program this year with 70 students receiving Holy Communion for the first time and 18 students being Confirmed.  We are happy that so many parents willingly support the yearlong program, making the necessary sacrifices to ensure that their children are educated in our faith.

MAY CROWNING
Many of the children from the First Holy Communion classes returned last Sunday to the 11:15am Mass to crown Mary and to offer flowers to her, our Blessed Mother. Special thanks to Marc Forino for organizing this annual event.  Thank you also to the parents for your support in encouraging your children to participate in this tradition.

St. Paul speaks about how the gifts of each person build the Body of Christ.  I think this is very clear at St. Anne’s by the various talents that we have. 

Peggy Fitch and her musical group bring so much joy to us when we pray.  Our Lectors and Eucharistic Ministers who help facilitate the Mass each Sunday.  My minor leaguers and major leaguers who assist me at Mass as Acolytes and who will be our Lectors and EMs in the future.  All those who nourish our young children in the CCD program.  The various public and private prayer groups on Thursday and Friday that pray for all of us.  Our communication person who does the Sunday bulletins as well as the parish web site. Our great teenagers who ask the deeper questions about themselves, relationships, church and faith and how to live in the modern world.  The many acts gently done by the Philippine community.  Finally, the gifts of joy, laughter, love and wonderment by your children call all of us as adults to be better so that they will grow healthily and faithfully.  

Thank you for sharing all those gifts with me.

-- Fr. Ed

Please join us in thanking the following for their participation as Acolytes in Mass this weekend:

• Saturday 6:00pm:        Ethan Sherry, Eliza Sherry
• Sunday 8:45am:          Aisling Quinlan, Brendan Armstrong, Natasha Hirt, Isabella Hirt
• Sunday 11:15am:        Greg Chang, Rachel Chang
• Sunday 6:00pm:          Reina Mandadero, Rodel Vital

Many thanks to all the singers who came to provide music for the First Holy Communion ceremonies last Saturday - Stella Woo, Bruce Ueland, Fernanda Da Rosa, Arceli Carrera, Nerry Delamide, Grace Chan, Maureen Canham, Margie DeCocinis, and Zoe Forino. 

As this is almost the end of the school year, we would like to thank all of the people who volunteered their service and talents in the music ministry this year.  In particular, thanks to the following musicians:

• Stella Woo for helping choose the music line-ups.   
• Blessie Hugo for coordinating the Legion of Mary choir. 
• Lorna Logmao for coordinating the Filipino choir. 
• Pat Kozyra and David Helfer for singing at the 6pm Saturday Mass. 
• Jennie Li and Hunmin Kim for their keyboard accompaniment (and Agnes Lee for stepping in to help with keyboard accompaniment when one of us is away). 
• Paul de Guzman, Bruce Ueland, and Blessie Hugo for their guitar accompaniment. 
• Stella Woo, Jam Melendez, and Lorna Logmao for singing the psalms at the 11:15 Sunday Mass. 
• Amar Bhardwaj (trumpet), Mary Byrne (violin) and Aisling Quinlan (violin) for their instrumental accompaniment.
• Hannah Kraebel for coordinating the Youth Band, and all the youth who contributed their enthusiasm and talents at the Saturday Youth Masses.   
• Thanks to all the friends of the music ministry who help out on special occasions such as Christmas, Easter, and the May ceremonies. 

And, last but certainly not least, to all the regular members of the music ministry who come to sing every week.  You are the backbone of the music ministry – thank you all so much.

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament will be offered for the last time before the summer holiday this Thursday morning 10:00 a.m. -12:00 p.m.  The devotion will be temporarily suspended for the summer months but will resume again in September.  Anyone interested in helping with the devotion or for more information, please contact Sally Helfer at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Praying Moms will be having its last session before the summer hiatus, on Friday, June 7th, 10-11 am. We will resume when school starts again in the Fall. The start date will be announced during Service Sunday and in the next bulletin after the summer. Keep praying! May the Lord's peace be with you and your family in the summer months.  For more information, contact Aissa Montecillo at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Dear music ministry members,

The line-up and schedule for June are attached.

The 8:45 Mass on May 5th was broadcast on RTHK Radio 4.  I think it came out very well! Thanks to the Filipino choir for singing and to our youth instrumentalists Amar Bhardwaj and Aisling Quinlan for accompanying.  If you'd like to listen, the link is here. 

Many thanks to Jennie Li, Bruce Ueland, Stella Woo, Pat Kozyra, Agnes Lee, Fernanda Da Rosa, Maureen Canham, Brenda Yu, and Margie DeCocinis, who gave us the music for the Confirmation ceremony last Saturday.  Also thanks to Hannah Kraebel for the communion meditation song, 'Blessings', by Laura Story.  We are indeed blessed to be a part of St. Anne's community and to be able to celebrate this occasion with the youth of the parish.

The First Holy Communion ceremonies took place yesterday.  Many thanks to all the singers who came to provide music: Stella Woo, Bruce Ueland, Fernanda Da Rosa, Arceli Carrera, Nerry Delamide, Grace Chan, Maureen Canham, Margie DeCocinis, and Zoe Forino.

We say a sad farewell to Lorna Logmao of the Filipino Choir who moved back to the Philippines last week.  Lorna was one of the founders of the Filipino choir 15 years ago and has been one of its core leaders.  She and the whole Filipino choir give selfless service to St. Anne's week after week.  In addition to singing at the 11:15 Mass every week, when there is a 5th Sunday in the month, they sing at three morning Masses - the 7:15 Tagalog Mass, the 8:45 and the 11:15 Masses.  They also sing for one 6pm Mass and for the Cheshire Home Mass each month.   Lorna has gained the respect and love of all the choir members, and we will miss her dearly.

Accompanists and cantors, please let me know if the schedule is ok for you.

Peace,
Peggie

Download:

Music Line-Up for June
Choir Schedule for June

St. Anne's Filipino Community would like to welcome visitors who will be praying with us this afternoon:  St. Jude Filipino Catholic Group from St. Jude's Church North Point;  Our Lady of Guadalupe Px from Star of the Sea Church, Chaiwan;  Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Filipino Group from Wanchai;  Mary's Prayer Group from Rosary Hill Church, Stubbs Road;  Mary, Queen of Peace Group and SIMBAYANAN KAMMPI Officers from Catholic Center; and the Lord's Flock Community.

We also welcome children participating today as angels:  Tuvia Riddell, Nicola Paragas, Jiro & Jeo Camaya, Tom & Ana Papernburg, Summer & Willow Jeffery, and Nuala & Oscar Binnion.

And welcome to all of our parishioners who are devotees of Our Blessed Mother Mary and who will be joining us in this pious activity.  Thank you so much. 

Please join us in thanking the following for their participation as Acolytes in Mass this weekend:

• Saturday 11:30am:      Mariella Evangelista, Abigail Evangelista, Natasha Hirt, Isabella Hirt
• Saturday 3:00pm:        Jessica Tan, Hannah Tan, Michael DeCocinis
• Saturday 6:00pm:        Juliana Provenzale, Pierce O'Malley
• Sunday 8:45am:          Robert Poon, Jason Poon, Aisling Quinlan, Jeremy Harford
• Sunday 11:15am:        Owen Tucker, Emma Tucker, Chatto Barrientos
• Sunday 6:00pm:          Erlinda Borje, Alma Futalan

Thank you very much for serving your parish community!  Please contact Moka Quinlan for information about this important ministry: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

­First Holy Communion:

Congratulations to the seventy children who received the Sacrament of Holy Communion for the first time at one of two Masses on Saturday, May 25th.  Special thanks to the following teachers and student assistants for their dedication and committment of their time and talents in teaching the children:  Emma Sherry (8:45am 1A), Hannah Kraebel and Abigail DeSouza (8:45am, 1B), Catherine deClerck, Cassie Jullienne and student assistant Emily Fabrizio-Stover (10am) and Nini Forino and student assistant Alicia Lamb (10am Older Students).

Confirmation:

Congratulations to the eighteen students of our Confirmation class who received the Sacrament of Confirmation on Saturday, May 18th.  Special thanks to their teacher, Jonathan Luk and to his assistant teacher, Angela Choi, for their dedication and commitment of their time and talents in preparing our young people for this important step in their lives.  Thank you also to Joyce Te, Parent Coordinator, for her invaluable support and work throughout the year. 

Please join us in thanking the following for their participation as Acolytes in Mass this weekend:

• Saturday 6:00pm:       Ying Ying Tse, Natasha Hirt, Isabella Hirt
• Sunday 8:45am:          Ryan Argetsinger, Kenna Argetsinger, Mariella Evangelista, Abigail Evangelista
• Sunday 11:15am:        Rachel Chang, Greg Chang, Zoe Forino
• Sunday 6:00pm:          Reina Mandadero, Rodel Vital

Thank you very much for serving your parish community!  Please contact Moka Quinlan for information about this important ministry: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

We are recruiting singers for the First Holy Communion ceremonies on May 25th.  Most of our regular music ministry members are not free to come on Saturdays and we need help from the parish community.  So far, we have only three singers.  There are two ceremonies - one at 11:30am and another at 3:00pm.  We welcome you to come sing for either ceremony or for both.   For more details, or to volunteer, please contact Peggie Fitch at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Confirmation:

Congratulations to the eighteen students of our Confirmation class who received the Sacrament of Confirmation on Saturday, May 18th.  Special thanks to their teacher, Jonathan Luk and to his assistant teacher, Angela Choi, for their dedication and commitment of their time and talents in preparing our young people for this important step in their lives.  Thank you also to Joyce Te, Parent Coordinator, for her invaluable support and work throughout the year. 

The St. Anne's Filipino Community will once again host the Living Rosary on May 26^th. The assembly time is 1:30 p.m. and the procession will starts at 2:00 p.m., followed by the rosary, flower offering, crowning of our Blessed Mother Mary and the benediction.  Please join us in praying the holy rosary as we make petitions for peace and unity for the whole world.  

If you have children aged 4-7 who would like to be one of our angels, please contact us so that we can provide them with attire.  

Snacks and fellowship will follow the service in the courtyard. For more information please email Lorenda Rafanan at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

We are recruiting singers for two upcoming ceremonies: Confirmation on May 18^th and First Holy Communion on May 25^th.  Most of our regular music ministry members are not free to come on Saturdays, so we need singers from the parish community.  Let’s come together to sing at these joyous occasions for the youth of our parish.  For more details, or to volunteer, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

Please join us in thanking the following for their participation as Acolytes in Mass this weekend:

• Saturday 6:00pm:    Ethan Sherry, Eliza Sherry
• Sunday 8:45am:       Ying Ying Tse, Hannah Tan, Jessica Tan, Brendan Armstrong
• Sunday 11:15am:     Zoe Forino, Monica Francis, James Francis
• Sunday 6:00pm:       Sam Weise, Olivia Weise

Thank you very much for serving your parish community!  Please contact Moka Quinlan for information about this important ministry: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Reminders:

• All CCD classes ended last Sunday other than for students enrolled in First Holy Communion classes (including the class of older students taught by Nini Forino) and the Confirmation class.  
• The last class for Confirmation students is today, May 12^th.
• The last class for all students who will receive First Holy Communion for the first time on May 25th will be next Sunday, May 19^th.  

There will be no English daily Mass from Monday through Saturday of this coming week, May 6th – 11th. The only Mass offered will be in Cantonese at 7:15 am at the Carmelite Monastery.