Anglicans accross Hong Kong ushered in Holy Week today with a Palm Sunday Said Eucarist at 8am.

A peaceful, tranquil area  in the midst of the concrete jungle that is Hong Kong’s Central district, St. John’s Cathedral is located at 4 Garden Road. 

The oldest Anglican building in the Far East, it is surrounded by other famous buildings such as the Bank of China Tower, HSBC Building, Legislative Council Building, Central Government Offices and the Court of Final Appeal.

My family has been worshipping at St. John’s ever since we first arrived in the city 4 years ago, and my kids have been blessed with their first Holy Communion at the Seat of the ArchBishop of Hong Kong.

For those who are interested, here is the schedule for Holy Week:

Palm Sunday 17th April

8.00 am Said Eucharist

9.00 am The Liturgy of the Palm and Solemn Eucharist

10.30 am The Liturgy of the Palm and Sung Eucharist (Mandarin)

11.45 am The Liturgy of the Palm and Sung Eucharist

2.00 pm The Liturgy of the Palm and Sung Eucharist (Filipino)

6.00 pm Taizé Eucharist

Monday in Holy Week 18th April

8.00 am Said Eucharist

6.00 pm Stations of the Cross & Eucharist

Tuesday in Holy Week 19th April

8.00 am Said Eucharist

6.00 pm Stations of the Cross & Eucharist

Wednesday in Holy Week 20th April

8.00 am Said Eucharist

6.00 pm Stations of the Cross & Eucharist

Maundy Thursday 21st April

8.30 am Diocesan Eucharist with Blessing of Holy Oil and Renewal of

Ordination Vows

1.15 pm Said Eucharist

7.00 pm The Liturgy of Maundy Thursday. Solemn Eucharist with the

Washing of Feet,the Stripping of the Sanctuary and the Watch

Good Friday 22nd April

9.00 am Morning Prayer

10.30 am Good Friday Service (Mandarin)

12.00 noon All Age Worship

1.30 pm Liturgy of the Day

Easter Eve 23rd April

9.00 am Morning Prayer

6.00pm Evening Devotions (Cantonese)

8.00 pm The Easter Vigil Liturgy with lighting of the Pascal Light (English,Chinese & Filipino)

Easter Day 24th April

8.00 am Said Eucharist

9.00 am Sung Eucharist for Easter Day

10.30 am Sung Eucharist for Easter Day (Mandarin)

11.45 am All Age Easter Liturgy with Baptism and First communion followed by

Easter egg hunt

2.00 pm Sung Eucharist for Easter Day (Filipino)

6.30 pm Solemn Choral Evensong

Monday of Easter Week (Public Holiday) 25th April

9.00 am Said Eucharist

Easter Day, as are most religious celebrations at St. John’s, are very family-centered. The church’s Easter Egg Hunt, one of my kids’ favourite events, takes place in the lush garden adjacent to the church.  While the kids have their fun scurrying around the shrubbery, parents are treated to hot cross buns and tea and the church hall.

————————————————————————————————————————————————–               HowzitHongKong.com stays in touch with home listening to Soli & Grant, only on The Taxi

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Just under a month ago, we alerted you that Table Mountain needed you vote.

The iconic Cape Town landmark was recently named on the shortlist of the 28 finalists in the New 7 Wonders of Nature competition.

Coordinators of the Vote for Table Mountain have been calling for South Africans to cast their vote to have the mountain declared one of the new 7 wonders of nature, and on our previous post, we showed you how you too can cast your vote.

We were pleasantly surprised to see that a video that we made after listening to Campaign Manager Fiona Furey speaking on The Taxi, was posted on the homepage of the Vote For Table Mountain campaign!

If you visit the site (here), our video is the one just above that of Arch Bishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, a patron of the campaign.

Nobel Peace laureate Desmond Tutu on Friday called on South Africans to throw some meat – or vegetables – on the coals to celebrate the country’s heritage and “braai“.

“We experienced an incredible spirit in the month of the World Cup when all that mattered was that we were members of this extraordinary Rainbow Nation,” Tutu told journalists.  “So I call on all of us to braai for Heritage Day, September 24. Let’s get together and enjoy ourselves, friends, families and even those who are not friends.”

Tutu is the patron of the “Braai for Heritage” campaign which is celebrated on September 24, an official public holiday to mark the nation’s multi-cultural heritage after the fall of apartheid in 1994.

The archbishop emeritus said the fireplace was a traditional gathering place in Africa and that anything from meat to vegetables could be put on a braai, a pastime enjoyed by South Africans of all races.

“We want to continue that tradition of all of us gathering on September 24, braaing for our heritage,” he said.  “The important thing is all of us on that one day again getting together and just enjoying the fact of being South Africans.”

The 78-year-old, affectionately known as “the Arch” will retire from public life on his birthday next month after years of speaking out against apartheid’s white minority rule and injustices around the world.  He will remain the patron of the braai campaign, which he joined in 2007.

“You can resign from an office job but you can never resign from being a braaier,” the campaign’s Jan Scannell told him in front of a banner featuring a large t-bone steak in the shape of Africa.

Dear Tata Mandela,

Today is your special day.  Mine was a week ago.  Please have a lekker day and don’t let the fact that the whole world wants to be in on it, deter you from having a wonderful day with Graca and your family.

We wish you love, health, peace and lots of rest.

Mike, Priscilla, Micaela and Ethan Jansen

Hung Hom Bay

Hong Kong

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela cartoon by Zapiro

PS. We asked The Arch to say something special on your birthday: