Parishioneers of St. Jude’s Church in North Point were pleasantly surprised to hear a familiar voice from the altar during the English Mass at noon today.
And when, starting his homily at the pulpit, he said he was
glad to be back, the church burst into applause as the parishioners confirmed
it was Fr. Emil Lim, Filipino chaplain for 10 years until 2014 when he had to
go to Rome for further studies and later as parish priest of St. Jude’s Church
near Malacanang in Manila.
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Although he was Filipino chaplain for 10 years, Fr. Emil actually
lived in Hong Kong for twice that long, during which he learned to speak fluent
Cantonese.
In this trip, however, Fr. Emil will be in Hong Kong only until
Dec. 5.
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“My travel documents are expiring,” he said as he was being
mobbed outside the church by those who remembered him.
He said he is in Hong Kong to relieve work pressure from the
current Filipino chaplain. Fr. Jay Flandez, who took over from him in 2014.
“We’re really shorthanded in Hong Kong,” he said.
Among other things, he would take over the mass scheduled to
be handed by Fr. Flandez for two Sundays. Both are members of the Missionary
Society of the Divine Word.
After saying Mass at St. Jude’s, he proceeded to St. Joseph’s
Church in Central to say the 2:20 pm and 4 pm Masses.
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Before he left Hong Kong, Fr Lim told the Mabuhay page of
the Catholic newspaper Sunday Examiner, that he asked to be replaced to allow
for a change both for him and the Filipino people in Hong Kong.
"It is time for the chaplaincy to have new ideas and new energy," he said then. "If a priest stays too long, it is the people he serves who will suffer".
There was no question. however, that he was popular to the
community that he served and even the locals.
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Aside from doing the usual hospital and prison visits, Fr.
Emil also took an active part in such activities as the Philippine Independence
Day celebration, the midnight mass in Chater Garden, and even with information
dissemination for registration of overseas voters.
In 2013, he introduced a new initiative to bring Filipino
Catholic couples closer to the church by organizing the "Kasal ng
Bayan", the first mass wedding of Filipinos in Hong Kong.
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But what makes him stand out as a priest and chaplain is his
courage in speaking out on issues that affect the community he has sworn to
serve.
Many residents will always remember the time he spoke with
palpable passion and concern at a meeting called at the Consulate in April 2009
to denounce a Hong Kong columnist who had called the Philippines "a nation
of slaves". Later, he helped organize one of the biggest delegations of
Catholics to a rally called for the same purpose.
Later, Fr. Emil also bravely took to the front line of
another rally called to denounce anti-migrant policies by the government.
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