On March 25, Solemnity of the Annunciation of Our Lord feastday at13:30, there was a ceremony of exhumation of five former Bishops of Hong Kong being moved to the Evangelical Chapel. It was held at Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, presided over by Auxiliary Bishop John Tong.

The five former bishops are: Bishop Timoleon Raimondi 1874-1894 *, Bishop Dominic Pozzoni 1905-1924 *, Bishop Henry Valtorta 1926-1951 *, Bishop Francis Hsu 1969-1973 *, Bishop Peter Lei 1973-1974 *.

In addition, the same ceremony for Bishop Lawrence Bianchi 1952-1968* and Cardinal JB Wu 1975-2002 * will be held at a later date.

Here are some of the Hong Kong Catholic Diocesan archives:

On 22nd April, 1841, an Apostolic Prefecture was established on Hong Kong Island and its surrounding radius of six miles, excluding the diocese of Macau. The first Prefect Apostolic (Padilla) was Swiss diocesan priest, Propaganda Fide representing Macau, Father Theodore Joset 1841-1842*.

On 17th November, 1874, the Hong Kong Apostolic Prefecture was promoted to Apostolic Vicariate. The first Vicar Apostolic (Pope on behalf of animal husbandry) was Bishop Raimondi Timoleone 1874-94*

On 11th April, 1948, the Hierarchy was set up in China and the Hong Kong Apostolic Vicariate was promoted to Diocese. Bishop Valtorta was assigned as the first Bishop of the Hong Kong Diocese on 31st October, 1948.

FatherChi-Hing Leung (1837-1920) was the first priest of Chinese nationality; Sister Kara Tam founded the Sisters of the Precious Blood (directly under the Diocese of Hong Kong) in 1922.

Bishop Francis Hsu was the first Chinese bishop of the Hong Kong Diocese. In 1988, Bishop John Chen-Chung Hu was officially made Cardinal, the first bishop of Hong Kong to receive this honor.

On the day of the ceremony, the well-known couplets outside the cemetery entrance did not arouse any feeling in me, The verses said: “Today my body returns to the earth, tomorrow yours will too”. Instead, I felt that I am obliged to carry on what had been accomplished in the past, building this blessed place of Hong Kong conscientiously.

*period of serving as bishop in HK