The Saint Francis University Choir brought Pope Francis’ message of care for creation to Italy through a series of performances inspired by Laudato Si’ and The Canticle of the Creatures of St. Francis of Assisi.
The 41-member delegation, which included university provost Professor Annie Bligh, music director Andrew Leung, assistant music director Kenneth Ma, accompanist Kevin Ma, and spiritual advisor Father Fabio Favata of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME), toured Genoa, Assisi, and Rome from August 27 to September 7.
The tour coincided with the Season of Creation from September 1 to October 4, a global Christian observance promoting ecological conversion and action.
Singing before the pope
Sunday Examiner, the official news service of the Diocese of Hong Kong, reported that the highlight of the journey came on September 3 when the choir was invited to sing at a papal audience in St. Peter’s Square during the entrance of Pope Leo XIV.
Leung said the group had only moments to prepare after microphones were handed to them. They performed the Cantonese classic Below the Lion Rock to represent Hong Kong culture and Look at the World, a sacred piece glorifying nature during the Season of Creation.
He said singing before the pope and a multilingual audience was deeply moving. “We could feel the universality of Catholicism and the unity of prayer,” he said.
After the audience, the group visited the Dicastery for Evangelization and performed three songs for staff and clergy in their chapel.
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle welcomed the choir and praised their harmonies. The university presented souvenirs to the cardinal—one for Pope Leo and another as a token of gratitude.
That evening, the choir held a final concert in Rome at San Giovanni Battista de La Salle, the titular church of Cardinal Stephen Chow, S.J., of Hong Kong.
The performance, centered on Laudato Si’, drew repeated applause from the cardinal, who commended the talent and dedication of the young musicians.
Celebrating faith and creation
In Assisi, the choir performed at the morning Mass in the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels on September 1 and later held a concert in the Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi before more than 150 people.
Leung described the experience as a blessing, saying, “It was extraordinary to participate in both liturgy and concert at two basilicas so closely linked to St. Francis of Assisi.”
Earlier, on August 30, the choir joined local villagers at Parrocchia del Santissimo Nome di Maria in Genoa for the solemn feast of the Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
They participated in a Marian procession and sang during a Mass celebrated by Archbishop Javier Herrera Corona, apostolic nuncio to the Republic of Congo, with Father Favata concelebrating. The choir also performed alongside Italian artists in a concert titled Maria, We Want to Love You.
Music as mission
Professor Bligh said the tour was not just a musical event but a profound spiritual journey that reflected the choir’s mission to share faith through music.
“The unity of the choir and the power of communal prayer were central themes, as their music touched hearts and planted seeds of faith,” she said.
The choir also performed at a cultural exchange at the Chinese Embassy in Italy on September 5, where they expressed gratitude and friendship. Li Xiaoyong, chargé d’affaires ad interim, described the gathering as an opportunity to strengthen ties between young people of Italy and China.
Throughout the trip, the choir’s performances echoed the message of Laudato Si’, celebrating harmony between faith, creation, and humanity in the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi.
