Remarkable First Mass

While gathering to witness the re-enactment of Christ’s supreme sacrifice is a grace-filled event in any language, worshipping in one's mother tongue was a profound blessing. What made the day extraordinary was the principal celebrant: Fr Peter Tan Hung Ho. Ordained a priest for the Diocese of East Anglia on 4th July this year, Fr Peter had never learned Cantonese. Yet, this was his very first Cantonese Mass.

 

Fr Peter celebrated the liturgy by carefully reading the Cantonese text word-by-word from a custom Vietnamese phonetic transcript prepared by Canon John Minh. Canon John, who was away visiting family in the United States, has been celebrating Cantonese Masses using this method for over four years. Over time, he has built an impressive portfolio of Cantonese liturgical texts embedded with Vietnamese phonetics—a resource he generously shared with Fr Peter as a "legacy file."

Having only taken up his first assignment on 1st September as Assistant Priest at St Edmund’s Church in Bury St Edmunds, alongside hospital and school chaplaincy duties, Fr Peter’s schedule had been full. Despite having minimal time to learn the Ordo and Proprium, and after only a single in-person coaching session, he celebrated the Vigil Mass with remarkable poise and aplomb. The congregation expressed deep gratitude for his pastoral zeal, marvelling at the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the unseen collaboration between the two priests.

Following the heartily sung Mass, Fr Peter was introduced to the Jesus Hug Children Liturgy Group at the OLOL Parish Presbytery. The session marked the start of new term after their summer recess. Ever personable, Fr Peter spoke words of encouragement, prayed with them, and imparted a devotional blessing on the children, their parents, and the catechists. It was a joyous
and sunny time for them all.

Connections Across Dioceses

Adding to the joy of the day was the presence of Revd Andrew Cheng, a newly ordained permanent deacon from the Archdiocese of Birmingham, who readily accepted the invitation to join us and drove 220 miles to attend.

Deacon Andrew was ordained at St Chad’s Cathedral in Birmingham on 18th July by Archbishop Bernard Longley—the same prelate who ordained then-transitional Deacon Peter Ho in December 2025. Although both men had undertaken their formation at St Mary’s College,
Oscott, they had previously been like "ships passing in the night," recognizing each other on campus but never meeting formally until now.

 
A former lawyer and Hong Kong Legislative Council member, Deacon Andrew was encouraged to discern his vocation at over sixty years of age. In a short address following the Blessing and Dismissal, he spoke humbly about feeling undeserving of God's call, encouraging anyone who feels they have passed the traditional age limit for diaconate training to reconsider: "God moves
in mysterious ways, and His love is unbounded."

Homily: God is full of Grace and Generosity

 

Having full confidence in the high standard of homiletic and theological training at Oscott, Fr Peter invited Deacon Andrew to preach the homily in Cantonese, for which Deacon Andrew thoughtfully provided an English translation so Fr Peter could follow along.

Drawing on the Gospel of St Matthew (Chapter 20) and cross-referencing the First Reading from Isaiah—"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord" — Deacon Andrew reflected on the parable of the generous landowner who paid all
workers the same wage regardless of their hours. He cautioned against envy or misinterpreting God’s grace as favouritism, emphasising that while God does not make contractual bargains with us, His gifts are always fair and abundant.

Deacon Andrew shared how this Gospel resonated with his own journey. Having felt called to the permanent diaconate for many years, he had previously passed the age limit of fifty-five set in Hong Kong. However, after moving to the UK, he discovered that local diocesan guidelines offered flexibility based on individual circumstances. Consequently, at the ripe age of sixty-six, he received the unexpected gift of ordination in Birmingham, enabling him to serve the broader Hong Kong migrant community—an outcome he could never have anticipated before moving from Hong Kong.

Giving Thanks

 

What began as a liturgy celebrated through an unusual combination of languages developed into a vibrant, joyful gathering of people across various stages of life, background, and faith. There was much to share and rejoice in during the social gathering in the Parish Hall well into the late afternoon.

"We give thanks to God for bringing us together to celebrate the Eucharist and for allowing us to bear witness, in so many beautiful ways, to His boundless grace and mercy."

For the RCDEA Cantonese Chaplaincy
Our Lady of Lourdes Church
19 September 2026 DC