My first visit to Macau was in 1992 and it was a vastly different city from what it is today. At the time, myself and  two fellow confreres, Fr. Manuel and Fr. Daniel, were studying Cantonese language in Hong Kong. In 1993 I moved to Macau filled with eagerness to begin our missionary work but  despite two years of intensive Cantonese language courses, my proficiency was still limited.  

The then Bishop of Macau, Dom Domingos Lam, appointed me as assistant parish priest at the Cathedral of Macau providing me with an opportunity to familiarize myself with the place, its culture, people, and to practice the language in preparation for my missionary service. This initial phase lasted approximately three years. 

During this time,  Bishop Lam planned to establish a new parish in the northern district of Macau, an area in dire need of a pastoral presence, in the highest densely populated part of the city, poorer and notably lacking a Christian presence. Engaging in dialogue with the Comboni missionaries, he entrusted us, the first Comboni missionaries in Chinese territory, with the responsibility of overseeing the mission territory of Iao Hon. This territory comprised mainly of immigrant workers from mainland and had virtually no Catholic population. 

The Bishop tasked me and my confreres with spearheading efforts to explore and establish a new Christian community in the area, while awaiting the construction of the  St. Joseph the Worker church, named in honor of the area’s predominantly working-class population.

MODEST LOCATION

We commenced our missionary work in a very modest location -a ground floor room in an old building-which we named Iao Hon Mission Center. Here we established a small office and a meeting room. Nearby there were  the Maryknoll Sisters operating a pastoral center primarily focused on social assistance activities. We began collaborating with them to chart our course forward. 

Our initial priority was to conduct a survey of the area to ascertain the number of Catholics, if any, residing there. Relying on an archive list of addresses meticulously compiled by the sisters in preceding years, I embarked on visits to numerous households, encountering mixed responses ranging from open doors to straight-forward refusal. 

In the end we realized that  there were very few Catholics in the area. But besides the number of Catholics, equally significant was gaining insight into the local milieu, the needs, and challenges faced by the people.  

Our nascent efforts were greatly aided by the support of the faithful from other parishes in Macau. They assisted us in organizing the inaugural catechism classes, liturgical ceremonies, and initial community engagement activities. I distinctly recall our inaugural Mass at the Center, attended by just twelve individuals-a humble yet auspicious beginning, suggestive, perhaps, of divine providence.

The initial years proved challenging, characterized by modest outcomes relative to our efforts,  the lack of facilities, the many discussions and the arduous task of building relations with locals. However, within a span of less than two years, the construction of the St. Joseph the Worker church was completed, and in 1998, we relocated to our newly erected premises with the first group of neophytes. It coincided with the first Sunday of Advent in 1998. 

The foremost challenge then was furnishing the church with essential amenities and personnel. I must acknowledge the immense generosity of Macau’s faithful, whose contributions facilitated the establishment and functioning of the nascent community.

PASTORAL PLAN

Subsequently, we formulated a pastoral plan, tailored to the area’s specific circumstances and available resources. Miraculously, the ranks of volunteers swelled by the day, enabling us to extend services to the local community. We inaugurated after-school homework classes for children, adult interest classes, summer activities and various youth groups, all pivotal to community-building endeavors. While the physical edifice of the church was now complete, our task was to foster a living, breathing community of believers – the ecclesia of living stones, as it were. 

This endeavor, too, presented challenges, chief among them being the amalgamation of disparate backgrounds, languages, and socio-cultural contexts within our small community. Primarily, we grappled with three distinct groups: Mandarin-speaking mainland Chinese workers, Cantonese-speaking locals, and English-speaking Filipino expatriates. Our pastoral approach necessitated inclusive engagement with each ethnic group, notwithstanding the inherent complexities and apprehensions. Another imperative was the outreach to the marginalized. A comprehensive situational assessment was conducted, and a dedicated group tasked with identifying and aiding those most in need within the territory.

Evangelization, in its multifaceted essence, demanded a vibrant, missionary community, embodying the gospel message through words and deeds. This, indeed, constituted the cornerstone of our community’s growth-a testament to the gospel imperative of joyful witness in every facet of life. 

The parish, conceived as an oasis of hope amidst neglect, has evolved over the years, welcoming new adherents annually. The solemn consecration of the church on May 1, 1999 (a few months before Macau’s  handover to China), marked a milestone, with subsequent years witnessing a steady influx of adult baptisms every Easter. The community burgeoned, not only in numerical strength but also in its missionary spirit. 

Integral to this growth was the presence and participation of mainland Chinese faithful, fostering a lively Mandarin-speaking community within the parish. Their role extended beyond the parish confines, serving as missionaries to their compatriots on the mainland. Symbolically the church main entrance/exit door faces exactly mainland China and the right and left sides of the building resemble two open arms extended to China as if in an all embracing gesture. Thus, echoing the sentiments of St. Daniel Comboni, our mission was to save the Chinese with the Chinese, while maintaining steadfast support and prayer with our active presence.

MEMORIES OF PEOPLE

I remained in Macau until 2009, with a brief interruption of three years spent in the Philippines as an ‘emergency’ editor for the esteemed World Mission Magazine. The memories of the people and the challenging yet extraordinary times I encountered in Macau are indelibly etched in my mind. I had the unmerited honor to be the first parish priest of St. Joseph the Worker and I view my time there as both a precious gift and an unforgettable chapter in my missionary life.

While much progress has been made, the task of gospel proclamation remains unfinished. However, the seeds planted have taken root, promising a future illuminated by hope. The parish stands as a beacon of hope, radiating Christian values and life in an erstwhile neglected place, amidst a world oftentimes ensnared by mere material pursuits. The gospel, preached and lived in Iao Hon, serves as a tangible reminder that life’s true essence transcends the realm of materialism and toil.