ENG-1974 — Page 236

RELIGION AND CUSTOM

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was consecrated Auxiliary Bishop of Hong Kong. The Church in Hong Kong suffered sad losses when Bishop Hsu died in May 1973, at the age of 52, and his successor, Bishop Peter Wang-kei Lei, died suddenly on July 23, 1974. Bishop Lei had been appointed in December 1973.

Health, education and diversified social welfare works have been maintained and in some cases extended during the past year. In education, expansion continued and there are now 201 Catholic primary and secondary schools with a total enrolment of 249,084.

Social services include seven vocational centres, seven social centres, 12 hostels for students and working people, six hospitals, one maternity home, 20 general clinics, five dental clinics, two mobile clinics, four residential homes for children and 15 day nurseries, two homes for the aged, two for the blind and two training centres for the disabled.

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In their Christian social commitment, the Catholic clergy and laity have, during the past year, increasingly engaged in joint activities related to contemporary con- ditions in Hong Kong with other Christian groups. In general the social dimension of education has been more stressed in the schools.

Church personnel engaged in pastoral, educational and welfare work in Hong Kong include 340 priests, 103 religious brothers and 793 religious sisters, 36 religious orders and congregations representing 33 nationalities. In 1974 Catholics numbered about 260,000, more than 90 per cent of them Chinese, in 53 parishes on Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and 16 rural districts of the New Territories.

During the past 30 years more than 20,000 followers of Islam, mostly Chinese, have established themselves in Hong Kong. Other members of the Muslim community are mainly from Pakistan, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Iran and neighbouring regions. They gather for prayers at the Shelley Street Mosque and Wongneichong Road Mosque on Hong Kong Island, and the Nathan Road Mosque in Kowloon.

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 the use originally of Muslim soldiers of the former Indian Army but 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.

Co-ordinating body for all religious affairs is the Incorporated Trustees of the Islamic Community Fund of Hong Kong. A board of trustees, comprising representa- tives of the various sects within the Muslim community, is responsible for the manage- ment and maintenance of all mosques and cemeteries. The trustees are also responsible for organising the celebration of Muslim festivals and other religious events. Charitable work among the Muslim community, including financial aid to the needy, hospitalisa- tion and assisted education, is conducted through a welfare committee working under the direction of the board of trustees.