Billed as the first ever Chinese Catholic conference of its kind in Canada, the event will include talks, workshops, praise and worship, eucharistic adoration, sacrament of Reconciliation and a Sunday Vigil Mass concelebrated by Hon.

The event will be hosted by the Chinese Pastoral Council of the Archdiocese of Toronto and organized by the Chinese Catholic television organization Fountain of Love and Life. It will be held on Jan. 2 at Canada Christian College.

“This is a preeminent and first ever Chinese Catholic conference of its kind in Canada,” said organizers in a press release.

The event will be conducted in Cantonese, with simultaneous interpretation in Mandarin and English. The day will conclude with a dinner for conference attendees to meet the keynote speaker and other conference speakers and attendees.

Hon received the Bull of Indiction for the Year of Mercy from Pope Francis last April on behalf of the East. He will speak about the meaning of the Holy Year of Mercy.

Ordained in Hong Kong in 1982, Hon is a former president of the Salesians of Don Bosco of China and professor of Theology at the Holy Spirit Seminary College of Hong Kong. In December 2010, he was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI as the Secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, the highest position held by a Chinese prelate in the Vatican.

Other conference speakers include Fr. Francis Ching, Deacon Paul Ma and Deacon Dr. John Wu from Calgary.

Nine Chinese Catholic parishes/communities across North America — Vancouver, Ottawa, Montreal, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Dallas, Houston and Miami — will join the event through live streaming. Hong Kong representatives will also participate.

Tickets are $25 each ($65 with dinner). For details, visit Conference. FLL.cc or call (905) 707-7800.