Bishop Matthias Der celebrates Lantern Festival with young parishioners online

Publish Date: 11-Mar-2021

Lantern Festival marks the end of the celebration of the Chinese New Year. The Youth Committee of the Diocese of Hong Kong Island and the Rt Revd Matthias Der, Bishop of Hong Kong Island, held an online party on 26 February, where young parishioners could get to know their new Bishop through games, cooking sweet dumplings, and sharing sessions.

While waiting for the sweet dumplings to cook, Bishop Der shared his thoughts about being together with other people. He pointed out that people were already distanced from each other even before the pandemic. He said that when families go to restaurants, instead of talking to each other, family members at the table were minding their own businesses, such as reading the news, texting others, and playing games. Under the COVID-19 pandemic, this distance between people became more apparent, he added.

Bishop Der said, “Festivals such as the Chinese New Year and the Lantern Festival remind us that having family members close by is not a guarantee. People have to cherish their relationships, strengthen their bonds, and care for each other. Although with technology advances many people can join a video chat online, in-person contact is still needed if we want deeper knowledge of each other.”