Annual celebrations and a Catholic mass at the St. Joseph’s Chapel on Yim Tin Tsai, a 20 minute boat ride from Sai Kung Town, will take place on 16 May, 2010. The former residents of this tiny salt-pan island, all surnamed Chan, return every year to celebrate mass here, and reminisce with relatives. Although it is, in general, a "family" time for the Chans, visitors are welcome to join in and soak up the lively atmosphere.
The Reverend Dominic Chan Chi-ming, Vicar General of the Hong Kong Catholic Diocese will conduct the 11:30 am mass this year, the 120th anniversary of the establishment of St Joseph's Chapel on Yim Tin Tsai. There will be a baptism, confirmation and blessing of marriage of former Yim Tin Tsai villagers at the chapel.
Rev. Chan was born on Yim Tin Tsai in 1952 and was ordained priest by John Cardinal Wu in 1979. You can take a walk around and see Rev. Chan's former house on the island.
The original chapel was founded by Father Joseph Frienademetz, an Italian Catholic missionary based in Sai Kung in 1879 – 1880 and was canonised to saintly status in 2003. The present chapel was constructed in 1890 in Italian Romanesque style and is classed as a Hong Kong Grade III historic building. UNESCO’s award to the chapel in 2005 recognized the conservation work put into preserving the character and heritage of one of the oldest chapels in Hong Kong.
Free ferries will leave from the Sai Kung New Pier approximately every half hour, starting at 8:30 am. Return ferries, approximately every half hour, from 1:30 pm, will take guests back to Sai Kung.
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