MercyHK, a charity founded by Oblate Father John Wotherspoon in Hong Kong, will open a new drug treatment center in Sha Tau Kok in September to support young addicts in recovery.
Wotherspoon said the center was urgently needed as many who sought help had relapsed. “The more we receive, the more we should help,” he said.
The center, located in a three-story village building, will run yearlong programs offering physical, mental, and spiritual support, according to Sunday Examiner, the official news site of the Church in Hong Kong.
Eddie Chan, director of MercyHK, said it will focus on early-stage recovery, combining spiritual formation, prayer, Bible sharing, values education, and activities such as calligraphy and pet care.
Residents will also take part in fitness training, communal cooking, volunteer work, and vocational preparation in computer operation, fitness coaching and electrical work.
“Understanding God is key to successful rehabilitation,” Chan said. A chapel dedicated to St. Michael, patron saint against drug addiction, will nurture the residents’ spiritual life.
MercyHK also operates a men’s shelter and is preparing to open a women’s shelter.
At its annual anti-drug thanksgiving gathering Aug. 16 at Star of the Sea Church, Chai Wan, Chan reaffirmed the group’s mission to serve “the homeless, drug users, asylum seekers, prisoners, and those in recovery, addressing their physical, mental, social, and spiritual needs.”
The event included testimonies of healing and renewal. James, a recovering addict now in a MercyHK shelter, shared how prayer before the cross brought unexpected healing after years of relapse and imprisonment. Today, he joins nightly Bible studies and works with other recovering addicts.
Representatives from Caritas, Protestant groups, and local clergy joined the thanksgiving gathering, underscoring community solidarity.
MercyHK operates with four staff members and six volunteers, supported by the Beat Drugs Fund and the Keswick Foundation.
In the past year, the group reached more than 1,000 students through school seminars, referred more than 100 individuals from methadone centers, supported 170 drug users in recovery, and organized 50 faith-based activities for Nepalese participants.
The Sha Tau Kok center, integrating faith with rehabilitation, aims to offer a beacon of hope for recovery and reintegration.
