St. Thomas the Apostle Church

St. Thomas the Apostle Church

St. Thomas the Apostle Church (English: St. Thomas The Apostle Church) is a Catholic church in Hong Kong, administered by the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong. Located at 5 Ching Luk Street, Tsing Yi, New Territories West, it was established on July 4, 1999.

Architectural Style

St. Thomas the Apostle Church is a six-storey building with a modern design. The entire structure is vertically oriented, and its main facilities include: a main sanctuary that can accommodate over 500 worshippers, a Blessed Sacrament Chapel, a multi-purpose hall, a kindergarten, meeting rooms, clergy quarters, and parking spaces. This vertical stacking is quite different from traditional European churches.

The exterior walls are made of brick and smooth concrete, giving a sincere and approachable impression. The bricks are meticulously crafted with rounded corners and perforations to match the architectural style. The church entrance features a sequence from the Virgin Mary statue at the main door, through the foyer, main aisle, altar, glass mural, and skylight, forming a religiously symbolic central axis. Additionally, the entrance facade is designed in the shape of a Chinese “gate,” creating a progressively developing spatial atmosphere from the entrance steps to the main sanctuary—reflecting a design concept akin to traditional Chinese sequential architecture.

The main sanctuary is located on the second floor of the building. The glass exterior walls enhance spatial continuity while maximizing the use of natural light, aligning with a more open and community-oriented modern religious concept. The rooftop bell tower and cross, combined with the building’s tower-like silhouette, make for a distinctive landmark of the church.

Patron Saint

Thomas is one of the Twelve Apostles and is referred to three times in the Gospel of John as “Didymus,” meaning “twin”—though the identity of his twin remains uncertain. Thomas is most remembered for his doubt about Jesus’ resurrection, though few other details of his life are widely known. In fact, his name appears only eleven times in the New Testament, and only the Gospel of John records his words and actions. Other scriptures simply list him among the Apostles.

Relics

In 1995, the church successfully applied to the government for land to build the parish. The then-parish priest, Father Ouyang Hui, wrote to Bishop Enzio D’Antonio of Ortona requesting some relics of their patron saint, St. Thomas, for veneration by the faithful. On February 15, 1997, the bishop replied that a small portion of relics dating back to 1958 could be donated, but other relics of St. Thomas had been sealed in a casket in 1984 under the verbal instruction of Pope John Paul II and could no longer be given to anyone. Father Ouyang personally visited Bishop Enzio D’Antonio in Ortona on April 21, 1997, received the relics of St. Thomas, and obtained a letter from the bishop certifying their authenticity.

Related Information

Mass and Liturgy Schedule

Masses

Sunday Mass: 9:30 AM (English)

8:00 AM and 11:00 AM (Cantonese)

Saturday Vigil Mass: 7:00 PM (Cantonese)

Weekday Mass: 7:15 AM (Cantonese)

Sacred Heart of Jesus Mass: First Friday of each month: 8:30 PM (Cantonese)

Note: Starting March 2014, an additional 12:30 PM (Cantonese) Mass has been added.

Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

First Thursday of each month: 8:30 PM

Transportation Guide

Address: 5 Ching Luk Street, Kwai Tsing District, Hong Kong

Getting There: Take New Territories minibuses 409K or Route 88.