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RELIGION AND CUSTOM
K
In 1867, the Pontifical Institute of the Foreign Missions of Milan took charge of the prefecture, with Monsignor T. Raimondi as Prefect later becoming Bishop. This institute remained responsible for the Church in Hong Kong for 102 years. In 1969, responsibility was transferred to the Diocesan clergy, with Bishop Francis Chen-peng Hsu as the first Chinese Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong.
Bishop Hsu died suddenly in 1973 at the age of 52. He was succeeded by Bishop Peter Wang-kei Lei, but he also died suddenly the following year, aged 51. The third Chinese Bishop of Hong Kong, Bishop John Baptist Cheng-chung Wu, was conse- crated and installed by Cardinal Angelo Rossi in the Hong Kong Catholic Cathedral on July 25, 1975.
In addition to its pastoral and apostolic work, the Church engages in a wide variety of work in education, health care and social welfare. There are now 310 Catholic schools, with more than 274,000 students. Vocational education is being developed.
Catholic social and health services include eight social centres emphasising voca- tional and adult education, six hospitals, 13 hostels for students and workers, a maternity home, 20 general clinics, six dental clinics, two mobile clinics, 17 day nurseries, two homes for the aged, two homes for the blind, and a large variety of self-help clubs and associations.
Roman Catholics in Hong Kong number about 265,000. They are served by 338 priests (129 Chinese and 209 of 15 other nationalities), 83 Brothers (33 Chinese and 50 of other nationalities) and 770 Sisters (453 Chinese and 318 of other nationalities). There are 54 parishes with resident priests. Services in almost all churches and chapels are conducted in Chinese, with a few providing some services in English. In one church on Hong Kong Island, all services are in English.
Muslim Community
The Muslim community numbers about 25,000 followers of Islam. The majority are Chinese, with the rest mainly from Pakistan, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Iran and neighbouring regions. They gather for prayers at the Shelley Street and Wong Nai Chung Road Mosques on Hong Kong Island and at the Nathan Road Mosque in Kowloon.
The Wong Nai Chung Road Mosque will have to be demolished by December, 1978, to make way for the Aberdeen tunnel project. However, the government has made available a site in Oi Kwan Road for a new mosque.
The Shelley Street Mosque, the first to be built in Hong Kong, dates back to the early days of the introduction of the Islamic faith in the 1880s. It was rebuilt in 1915. The Kowloon mosque was built towards the end of the last century for use originally by Muslim soldiers of the former Indian Army. It was subsequently handed over to the local Muslim community. Two places have been set aside by the government as burial grounds for Muslims. One is at Happy Valley and the other at Cape Collinson, Chai Wan, where another mosque is located.
The co-ordinating body for all religious affairs is the Incorporated Trustees of the Islamic Community Fund of Hong Kong. A board of trustees, comprising represen- tatives of the various sects within the Muslim community, is responsible for the