ENG-1968 — Page 311

RELIGION AND CUSTOM

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90 per cent of them are Chinese, spread out in 26 parishes on Hong Kong Island and Kowloon and in 14 rural districts of the New Territories.

In 1958, the Catholic Church set up a Social Welfare Bureau (Caritas - Hong Kong) to meet the need for a central directing and planning body of Catholic charities. Thanks to contributions from international charity agencies, many welfare and training schemes have been launched.

The rebuilding of parishes entered a further phase with the com- pletion of St Joseph's Church on Garden Road, which was blessed and inaugurated on June 1. Construction of a new parish church started in Tsuen Wan in the spring of 1968 to meet the needs of that fast-growing industrial town.

In the field of education, expansion has been energetically con- tinued. The Chinese Precious Blood Sisters inaugurated on January 26 the new, impressive building of Tack Ching Middle School in Sham Shui Po and officially opened the Anglo-Chinese Trinity College in the same area on May 17. The St Joseph Anglo-Chinese School in Kwun Tong inaugurated its new building on February 2. Other new schools opened during 1968 include St Antonius School (primary) in Yau Tong Bay, Kowloon; the Catholic Primary School in Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon; and St Joseph's Primary School on Queen's Road East. Extensions of school buildings were made by Raimondi College and Wah Yan College, Kowloon.

Catholic social services were further expanded during the year. The Social Centre on Caine Road, its three-block completed in the summer, was opened by Mr Irving Gass, the Acting Governor, on November 4. The Social Centre neighbouring St Teresa Church on Prince Edward Road was opened in November 8. Both offer vocational training, language classes, youth amenities, hostels and

canteens.

Along with Caritas - Hong Kong, the diocesan Lay Apostolate and the parishes have taken increasing interest in youth activity. The Diocesan Youth Centre on Pok Fu Lam Road, with its spacious grounds and conference rooms and dormitory facilities, has been much in demand by youth groups of all creeds. The idea of 'Tea House', a sort of youth club, has been successfully exploited in