OFWs in Hong Kong welcome San Lorenzo Ruiz

By Josephine Darang
Columnist, Philippine Daily Inquirer
Posted date: June 14, 2009

AT LEAST a thousand OFWs filled up the Annunciation Church in Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong, to welcome San Lorenzo Ruiz during the Mass concelebrated by Father Lino Nicasio, SVD, principal of St. Jude Catholic School in Manila, and Father Emil Lim, SVD, chaplain of the Filipino community in Hong Kong.

It was like a coming home for San Lorenzo Ruiz, the first Filipino saint, who himself was an overseas worker of sorts in Nagasaki in l636 (he came with a band of Dominican friars wanting to evangelize Japan amid persecution). OFWs dressed as Lights of the Altar (altar servers) and Eucharistic ministers walked in the processional bringing in the Mass celebrants and the statue carried by labor attaché Romulo Salud and Jun Castillon of the administrative staff of the labor office.

Standing there with Sonia Atabug, secretary of the San Lorenzo Ruiz Global Ministry, I marveled at the miracle that brought us to Hong Kong. There was a typhoon in Manila the day before we left on June 5. But praying to all the saints, especially St. Philomena, St. Clare and San Lorenzo Ruiz, the weather improved. In Hong Kong, Jun Castillon and Donald Retirado of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (Polo) waited at the airport ready to bring San Lorenzo Ruiz to the Annunciation Church where Sister Leonila Cadavos, PDDM, waited.

Father Emil Lim, who takes care of the spiritual formation of OFWs and Filipino migrants, accepted the donation of the statue in behalf of the OFWs.

Salud said that the saint would be brought around to the various Filipino organizations until a church is found where he will be permanently placed.

Three thousand novenas were given free by SM Lazo Medical Center as gift, while the Confraternity of Our Lady of All Nations in Manila sent prayer cards and giant posters of Our Lady.

Household service workers

Domestic helpers are now called household service workers (HSW). According to assistant labor attaché Leonida Vergara Romulo, there are 150,000 Filipinos living in Hong Kong; 126,075 of which are household service workers. The rest are professionals.
We met Janric Rosales and his cousin Mara Poblete who work with Aeon Credit Service in systems development.

There are only six distressed OFWs in the Filipino Workers Resource Center as of this writing. Salud told me that his office sees to it that every OFW is protected and problems solved.

Salud, a member of the Risen Lord’s Vineyard Charismatic Community, told me that he wants every person who approaches his office to go out smiling.

Independence Day

Vice Consul Joy Banagodos said there are 1,500 OFWs who are expected to come in Filipino costume at the Independence Day parade today from Harcourt to Chater Road.
Celebrating the 111th anniversary of Independence Day, the activities begin with an interfaith prayer service in Harcourt at 8 a.m. Consul General Claro Cristobal will lead in the activities that will be highlighted by a Philippine cultural show titled “Sulong Pa Rin ang Pinoy.”

On June 2l, 11:30 a.m.-6 p.m., the Department of Labor and Employment will bring the “Hatid Saya” show at the Chater Garden in Central.

Strong faith

Consul General Cristobal expressed admiration for the OFWs’ faith that is apparent in how they participate in the Eucharistic Liturgy.

In a recent Mass he attended with Comelec commissioner Nicodemus Ferrer at Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Yuen Long district, he saw how the choir, altar servers and Mass goers (all Filipinos) emanated so much faith that he knew they would never break despite their problems. The Filipinos have for their chaplain, Fr. Emil Lim, SVD.

SVD in Hong Kong

The Divine Word Missionaries (SVD) first came to Hong Kong in 1878, just three years after St. Arnold Janssen founded this religious missionary congregation in 1875.

The very first SVD missionaries sent from Germany to China were Fathers Joseph Freinademetz and John Baptist Anzer. They first landed in Hong Kong on April 1878. Father Freinademetz, together with the founder, Fr. Janssen, were canonized saints by the late Pope John Paul II in 2003 in Rome.

They were in Hong Kong to learn the Chinese language and culture and do pastoral work among Chinese. And that is how Hong Kong could boast that saints once walked and worked in this territory.

Father Lim said a group of migrant volunteers, among them household service workers, helped him do spiritual formation of OFWs in Hong Kong through catechism.