五十五周年校慶感恩祭 55th School Anniversary Thanksgiving Mass

聖言中學於一月十七日於銅鑼灣基督君王小堂舉行五十五周年校慶感恩聖祭，由香港教區夏志誠輔理主教蒞臨主祭，校監張明德神父以及一眾聖言會神父共祭，並邀請教區教育事務主教代表、校董、榮休校長及老師、家長、校友等與全校師生參禮，共同見證這個莊嚴而充滿感恩的時刻。

張神父在感恩祭開始前回顧聖言中學超過半世紀以來，致力為觀塘區男孩提供具國際視野的世界級教育，並培育了許多在不同的領域發光發亮、貢獻社會的人才，這實在有賴天主一直以來對本校的眷顧。此外，張神父還特別分享到今年校慶的主題 Sing a song of Sing Yin 意思就是大家一起以嘹亮的歌聲自豪地唱出屬於不同年代聖言學生的校歌，希望這首歌是我們心之所系，希望這首歌的精神一代一代傳承下去。

當日的福音選自若望福音 10:1-10，其中第十節「我來為使人得到生命，且獲得更豐富的生命。」這句經文，正是聖言中學的辦學宗旨。夏主教在講道先分享了他與聖言中學的淵源及聯繫，並解釋何為更豐富的生命：他引述1938年哈佛大學對於甚麼是幸福的研究，指出幸福人生、豐富的生命的關鍵在於與人建立穩定、親密且持久的關係。夏主教提到「聖言」的意思就是天主跟人講的話，而講話的原因就是要給人永恆不變、圓滿的愛，使人得到更豐富的生命。夏主教更鼓勵學生在學校學習之餘，也要聆聽上主跟我們講的話。

Sing Yin Secondary School held its 55th Anniversary Thanksgiving Mass on January 17 at Christ the King Chapel, Causeway Bay. The Mass was presided over by Rev. Joseph HA Chi-shing, Auxiliary Bishop of Hong Kong, and concelebrated by School Supervisor Rev. Johnson Dhos and several Divine Word Missionary fathers. Episcopal Delegate for Education of the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong, school board members, retired principals, parents, alumni, and all teachers and students were invited to participate in this solemn and grateful occasion.

Before the Mass began, President Rev. Johnson Dhos reflected on the over half a century during which Sing Yin Secondary School has been committed to providing world-class education with an international perspective to boys in the Kwun Tong district. The school has nurtured many talents who have excelled in various fields and contributed to society. He attributed this success to God's constant care for the school. Additionally, Father Dhos shared the theme of this year's anniversary celebration: ""Sing a Song of Sing Yin"" , which signifies everyone proudly singing the school songs of different eras with resounding voices. He expressed the hope that these songs would remain close to everyone's hearts and that the spirit of these songs would be passed down from one generation to the next.

The Gospel reading of the day was taken from John 10:1-10. Among the verses, John 10:10, ""I have come so that they may have life and have it to the full"" serves as the Mission Statement of Sing Yin Secondary School. In his homily, Bishop Ha first shared his connection with Sing Yin Secondary School and then explained the meaning of a more abundant life. He cited a 1938 Harvard University study on happiness, pointing out that the key to a happy and abundant life lies in building stable, intimate, and lasting relationships with others. Bishop Ha mentioned that the meaning of ""The Word"" is God's communication with humanity, and the purpose of this communication is to offer eternal, unchanging, and perfect love, enabling people to live a more abundant life. He further encouraged students to not only focus on their studies but also take time to listen to what the Lord is saying to them.