Christ's whole life on earth was dedicated to bringing people back into friendship with God, and to establishing his Church to continue that mission throughout history.

This is the Good News of Jesus Christ: that in him we can once again live in friendship with God, our sins can be forgiven, we can become what we were created to be: children of God, members of God's family.

Original sin had shattered the relationship between the human family and God. Christ came to rebuild that friendship, to reconcile that broken relationship.

We all want to experience more deeply this transforming power of Christ's presence in our lives. And the best way to do that is by helping others experience it.

That's what Zacchaeus did. Jesus reached out to him; he came into his life. Jesus has also reached out to us. He has made us Christians, members of his Church.

Fr. Paulus Waris Santoso, O.Carm 

​Today Jesus gives us a parable of two men who went up to the temple to pray: one was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. There could be no greater contrast between these two. In the opinion of the people of that time, a tax collector was worth nothing and could not address himself to God, because he was an impure person, in so far as a tax collector, while the Pharisee was an honoured person and a very religious one.

The sinner in this parable are people we usually try to avoid. But Jesus doesn't. He reaches out to them. Jesus did go after them, and he's still going after them. Jesus wants absolutely everyone to come to his Father's house.

This is one of the characteristics of our Lord that we should think about. He loves saving big sinners. And this is one more reason why we can trust him without limits.

Fr. Paulus Waris Santoso, O.Carm

 Jesus presents us with two persons from real life: a judge who neither respects God nor persons and a widow who will not stop fighting for her rights before the judge.

The simple fact that Jesus presents these two persons reveals that He knows well the society of His time.Not only does the parable present poor people fighting in court to have their rights recognized, but it also shows us the violent contrast among social groups.On the one hand, an insensitive and irreligious judge, and on the other, the widow who knows which door to knock on to get what is owed to her.

Through today's parable, Jesus is reminding us that we should have unlimited faith and confidence in God.

No prayer that we utter goes unheard.God is never out of his office; he is never on vacation. He is longing for us to bombard him with our prayers. He is eagerly searching for hearts that trust him enough to ask him unceasingly for everything they need. He always answers our prayers, even when the answer is "no."

Because God is our Father, all-wise, all-loving, and all-powerful, there should be no limit to our confidence in him.

Fr. Paulus Waris Santoso, O.Carm

The Hong Kong Department of Health and the Philippine Consulate are providing a free MMR (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella) vaccine for all Overseas Foreign Workers. They must be 52 years old and below. They should receive TWO DOSES of MMR Vaccine, separated by an INTERVAL OF AT LEAST FOUR WEEKS.

The venue for the first vaccination will be at the parish hall of the St. Anne's Church on Nov. 17^th at 1:30 PM.Please come early for signing the MMR Vaccine Consent and bring along your contract, Hong Kong ID or passport with you. For those interested but have not yet been registered, please contact Lorenda G. Rafanan at 9107-9805 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or WhatsApp 6370-3643. The deadline for registration is 2019 Oct 28. For more information regarding the MMR Vaccination, please refer to the bulletin board at the back of the church. Thank you. 

With thanks to Dennis Montecillo for compiling this video and to all of our current and former parishioners for contributing!  

At the end of St John's Gospel, we are told that if everything Christ did during his brief earthly life were written down, the entire world would not contain the books. We can infer, therefore, that many of Christ's miracles and encounters were not recorded in the New Testament.

So why did St Luke include the miracles of curing the leper? Clearly because of the lesson that Christ teaches us by it: the beauty of gratitude.

The one leper who came back to thank Jesus is praised for this gratitude. We can almost hear the sadness in Christ's heart at the lack of gratitude in the other nine who were healed. Why does Christ value gratitude so much? Is he vain? Is his self-esteem so weak that he gets depressed if we don't praise and thank him?

No. He values gratitude because gratitude is valuable - it's valuable for us, for the health of our souls.

In the first place, gratitude keeps us grounded in the truth, which is key for our ongoing relationship with God. In the second place, gratitude is the perfect antidote to sin. Sin turns us in on ourselves, like an ingrown toenail; gratitude opens us up to God and neighbour.

Gratitude is one of the most beautiful flowers in the garden of virtue - what a pity that it's so rare!

Fr. Paulus Waris Santoso, O.Carm 

The Acolyte Ministry is seeking new members to join a dedicated group of altar servers, particularly during the Saturday vigil mass. You must be at least ten years old and have received your First Holy Communion. Please email AhYoung Chi at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you are interested.  

The St. Anne's Filipino Community wishes to encourage and invite all our parishioners, including children, to participate in our beautiful ceremony The October Living Rosary.It is an expression of love for our Blessed Mother and it will be held on October 27^th at exactly 2:00 PM and the assembly time is 1:30 PM. Please join us in praying the rosary, singing Marian songs, flower offering, the crowning of our Blessed Mother Mary, and the Benediction and Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament.

If your children want to dress up as angels, please let us know in advance so that we can provide appropriate attire for them and souvenirs for their participation. There will be some sharings and refreshments right after the activities.For queries, please call Lorenda Rafanan 9107-9805 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

The Hong Kong government and the Philippines Consulate are providing a free MMR (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella) vaccine for all Overseas Foreign Workers, for those who were born from 1967 onward. They must be 52 years old or younger. To apply, please submit your name as shown in your contract or passport. This is on a first-come, first-serve basis. For more information, please contact Lorenda G. Rafanan at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or WhatsApp 6370-3640.  

The buffet dinner for celebrating the 60th anniversary of St. Anne's Church will be held at the Hong Kong International School cafeteria (Tai Tam campus) from 5 pm. There will be entertainment and a buffet. Tickets are limited, on sale now. Parishioners are encouraged to bring a dish or a dessert to share!

The parish will arrange a shuttle bus after the 3 pm Mass for guests, senior citizens, families with children, and other people in need. Other participants are advised to take public transport.

As advised by the Hong Kong International School, all guests need to be checked in on arrival by the security. (See announcement overleaf.) Please remember to bring your ID cards or passports for entry. You can also pre-register your name and get an electronic pass. For pre-registration, please contact our staff, Mr. Desmond Lau, after the mass to provide your name (full name in English as shown on ID card) and email address. 

Security Clearance for St. Anne's Anniversary Party

If you have purchased a ticket for the 60th Anniversary celebration party or are planning to attend but have yet to buy a ticket, please submit an email address, with your first and last name, for security clearance at HKIS (not required if you already have a Hong Kong International School ID).

A sign-up sheet can be found at the back of the church. Alternatively, you may give the information directly to Desmond.

Names and email addresses will be submitted to HKIS security and an e-pass (similar to a boarding pass) will be sent via the email submitted.

Please be sure to bring the e-pass along with identification document (HKID or Passport) to the school on Sept 22nd for entrance to the party. 

We are looking for your generous support in donating potted flowers such as orchids and roses to decorate the newly restored Blessed Virgin Mary Grotto and the icons for the blessings ceremony at the 3pm Mass on 22 September.We hope we can receive as many as pots possible for this special day.Please feel free to go take a look at the grotto and icons after mass and decide how you can contribute.

For those who wish to donate, please arrange with your florist to deliver the flowers on the 19th & 20th September so that the flowers stay fresh for Sunday and we can line them nicely.

Your Contributions will be greatly appreciated!

Delivery Address:

St. Anne's Church
1 Tung Tau Wan Road
Stanley
Hong Kong
Tel: 2813 0206

The parish is planning to construct a Grotto in honor of the Blessed Virgin. The Grotto will be built on the side of the church near the current structure that houses several icons and the goal is to have it completed before the St Anne's 60^th Anniversary celebration that will take place on Sunday, 22^nd September.

While the construction of the Grotto is important, so is ensuring that there are sufficient plants, flowers, and greenery to make the Grotto aesthetically pleasing and a desirable place for prayer. Therefore, we are making an urgent appeal to any parishioner who has a green thumb, is interested in gardening or simply wants to get involved in designing and coordinating the planting and vegetation.  If we want the Grotto to look presentable at the 60^th Anniversary celebration, then planning and ordering plants and other greenery should happen now.  Please consider volunteering and contributing to the beauty of St Anne's. 

If interested, please contact David Lamb at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 6771-1787. 

In line with St. Anne's 60^th Anniversary, we will also be celebrating the golden jubilee and silver jubilee of the services of Fr. Cuff and Sr. Antonysamy, respectively, on 22 September (Sun).The event will start at 3pm with a special Mass celebrated by Cardinal Tong.This will be followed by a party at the Hong Kong International School cafeteria from 5pm. There will be entertainment and a buffet.

Tickets will go on sale next weekend from 31 August (Sat) for St. Anne's 60^th birthday party! Parishioners are encouraged to bring a dish to share!Regular (adult) tickets are $120 per person, and discounted tickets are $80 for helpers, elderly (65+), and children (under 12).The ticket will include transportation from St. Anne's to the HKIS campus and back.Please get the tickets before they are sold out!Enter your text here ...

The Acolyte Ministry is seeking new members to join a dedicated group of altar servers. You must be at least ten years old and have received your First Holy Communion. Training will take place in September and you will begin your new service in October!If you are a current acolyte and have not received an email from AhYoung regarding your September availability, please send her an email as soon as you can. If you are interested, please email AhYoung Chi at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

If you enjoy making music, please join us in the music ministry. We welcome all vocalists and instrumentalists, and we especially need keyboard accompanists. Our members are all ages and all nationalities, and we always welcome new members. If you are interested to find out more, come talk with one of the choir members after Mass, or else e-mail Peggie Fitch at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

 For the past 25 years, thousands have flocked to the Divine Retreat Centre for this 5-day retreat to receive physical, psychological and spiritual healing.

The Eucharistic Oblate for the Vulnerable has invited Fr. Augustine Valooran, a preacher from the Divine Retreat Centre, to give a talk on the Eucharist followed by a Eucharistic Healing here at St. Anne's on 30th June from 1pm to 3pm. Don't miss it!