As the Diocese of Hong Kong marks the 80th anniversary of its establishment, Church leaders are commemorating the milestone with a three-week exhibition highlighting the history of Catholicism in the region.
According to UCA News, the “Messengers of Hope: Exhibition on the History of the Diocese” includes historical artifacts and archival materials tracing the history of Catholicism in Hong Kong from the diocese’s early missionary roots to its modern presence.
Jesuit Cardinal Stephen Chow, the bishop of Hong Kong, opened the exhibition May 9 at St. Francis University in Hong Kong, where it will conclude May 31.
UCA News said the exhibition features a replica of a 1946 issue of the Sunday Examiner, an English-language Catholic newspaper founded by missionary Father Nicholas Maestrini to serve English-speaking Catholics and report on Church developments in China and across Asia.
The Hong Kong diocese traces its roots to 1841, when it was established as an apostolic prefecture before being elevated to an apostolic vicariate in 1874. Pope Pius XII established it as a diocese on April 11, 1946.
According to UCA News, unlike other dioceses in mainland China, the Diocese of Hong Kong remains under the direct authority of the Vatican, with the pope independently appointing its bishop.