Cantonese Catholics Gather for Mass in Sawston

Cantonese-speaking Catholics gathered at Our Lady of Lourdes in Sawston on Saturday, September 19, 2026, for the Vigil Mass of the 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time. The congregation of 105 people included many recent arrivals from Hong Kong who have lived in the United Kingdom since late 2021. Attendees traveled from various locations including London, Colchester, Bedford, Milton Keynes, Bishop’s Stortford, and Harlow.

Fr. Peter Tan Hung Ho, who was ordained for the Diocese of East Anglia on July 4, 2026, served as the principal celebrant. Although he does not speak Cantonese, Fr. Peter conducted the liturgy by reading a Cantonese text using a Vietnamese phonetic transcript. This resource was provided by Canon John Minh, who has used similar phonetic methods to celebrate Cantonese Masses for over four years.

The gathering followed recent encouragement from Bishop Peter to celebrate migrant communities and occurred ahead of the 112th World Day of Migrants and Refugees on September 27.