HKSKH ordains two new priests at St John’s Cathedral

（© 教聲/ ECHO）

Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui ordained two deacons, the Revd Matthew Lee and the Revd Kenneth Lo, to the order of priesthood on 25 April 2021 (Good Shepherd Sunday) at St John’s Cathedral. The ordination service was originally scheduled for November 2020, but was postponed for six months because of the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions on public gatherings. Although in-person public worships had been allowed since early April, due to social distancing measures, only clerics and a small number of parishioners were present at the service; most participants took part by watching the webcast of the service.

The ordination was presided by Archbishop Andrew Chan, with Bishop Timothy Kwok and Bishop Matthias Der assisting. Dean Samson Fan and the Revd Tsui Yuk-fan presented the two deacons to be examined by Archbishop Chan. The two deacons declared that they believed the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the Word of God which contain all things necessary to salvation and they would be conforming to the doctrine, discipline, and liturgy of Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui. People who were present at the ordination consented to the ordination of Mr Lo and Mr Lee and were willing to support them in their new pastoral duties.

In his sermon, Dean Chan Kwok-keung reminded Mr Lo and Mr Lee that priests must manifest the holy humbleness befitting a servant of God. Dean Chan welcomed them into the royal priesthood as they became faithful servants of the Lord. He pointed out that Jesus is the model of servants and lived the life of a humble servant: he was born in a manger in Bethlehem, was nailed to the cross on the Mount of Calvary, and he washed his disciple''s feet at the Last Supper. Dean Chan said that priestly duties are closely tied to holy humbleness and a faith rooted in Christ.

Dean Chan then compared the life of serving the Church to a soccer match. He said, “We don’t know if you are a striker, a midfielder, a defender, or the goalkeeper, and we do not get to choose our roles. When will we score a goal, hit the post, or get an offside foul? These are all situations out of our control. However, God is watching this match and he understands all of our positions and is giving us different roles.” He concluded his sermon by saying that when everyone embodies a holy humbleness in their ministerial lives, they will be watched over and rewarded by God regardless of their positions.

Dean Chan hoped that in the future Mr Lo and Mr Lee would continue to share their Anglican faith with the brothers and sisters of St Mary’s Church, All Saints’ Cathedral, the dioceses, and the whole province so that their faith could pass on to the next generations.

After the sermon, the bishops and priests laid their hands on the heads of the ordinands, Archbishop Chan anointed their foreheads with holy oil and presented them with bibles as a sign of their authority to preach the Gospel of Christ and minister the Holy Sacraments.