Hong Kong Catholic parishes opened limited church space to foreign domestic workers seeking safe and dignified places to spend their days off, even as many churches struggled with space shortages, security concerns, and limited volunteers, a diocesan survey found.
The Diocesan Commission for Integral Human Development released the survey Sept. 27, the World Day of Migrants and Refugees, according to the Sunday Examiner.
Forty-two parishes responded to questions on how they accommodate migrant Catholics on Sundays and public holidays. Parish priests, assistant priests and parish office staff completed the questionnaires.
More than 70% of the parishes said foreign domestic workers remained on church grounds after Sunday Mass to rest, socialize and spend time with their communities. The same proportion said migrant workers took active roles in parish life as lectors, collectors or choir members.
Most parishes celebrated Masses in English or other foreign languages. In 33 parishes, migrant communities occupied between one-third and one-half of parish premises.
Churches made parish halls, activity rooms, playgrounds, kitchens, drinking water, microwave ovens, toilets and storage lockers available to the workers.
But accommodating large groups also placed pressure on parish facilities.
More than half of the parishes shared their grounds with schools, complicating security, cleaning and property management. More than 30% cited inadequate storage as their main difficulty, followed by safety concerns, crowd control, a lack of volunteers and utility costs.
Jackie Hung Ling-yu, a project officer with the diocesan commission, said opening church grounds to domestic workers provided more than shelter.
“While gathering on public streets lacks dignity and comfort, offering church grounds protects their privacy and safety from severe weather while ensuring they feel valued as genuine parishioners,” Hung told the Sunday Examiner.
Hung said parishes could also become support networks for domestic workers facing financial hardship, mistreatment by employers or fraud, providing emotional and practical guidance.
She said opening parish spaces could encourage migrant workers to take a more active part in church life and help them feel that they belong as members of the Church rather than as outsiders.
Hung also recommended that parishes establish referral networks with social workers and health care providers to assist workers with problems they encounter in daily life.
At St. Joseph’s Church on Garden Road, thousands of Filipino domestic workers gather every Sunday, according to parish priest Divine Word Father Joseph Tan Leitao.
The parish celebrates 10 Masses in English and Tagalog between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Faced with limited space, the parish renovated indoor rooms with movable partitions to give groups some privacy.
Three large folding tents equipped with electricity, fans, and air conditioning were installed outdoors to protect workers from Hong Kong’s summer heat. Benches were also placed around trees and near the grotto.
More than 200 volunteer ushers, who attend regular briefings, help keep order. The parish also conducts monthly health checks and safety workshops.
Tan said the measures were intended to make the church grounds a safe and welcoming home that nurtures spiritual growth and mutual care.
