HONG KONG (SE): Canossian Daughter of Charity Sister Bernadette Au, returned home to our heavenly Father on September 24. She was 77-years-old.
Sister Au was born in Hong Kong on 2 June 1947. She joined the Canossian religious family in 1969, making her first profession on 14 September 1972 and her perpetual profession on 1 September 1979. She was sent to take up the apostolate of Education, and later served as principal of three Canossian Colleges St. Francis’ [1979-1991], Sacred Heart [1991-2000] and St. Mary’s [2000-2007].
In 2007, she went to the mother House in Verona, Italy, studying the writings and documents of St. Magdalene of Canossa. She was deeply impressed and inspired by the founder of the Daughters of Charity spirit of being a “Servant of the Poor”.
Upon her return to Hong Kong, she began translating the Italian and English versions of the St. Magdalene’s writings and documents into Chinese. In 2015, she was sent to care for disabled and abandoned children in an orphanage in Ningde, Fujian, China.
Sister Au returned to Hong Kong at the beginning of 2022 to receive treatment for a terminal illness until she completed her journey on earth. Her shining smile, her generous kindness and her unwavering apostolic zeal inspired many people.
A funeral Mass was celebrated by Father Joseph Yim Tak-lung at the Canossian Missions Chapel on October 8, followed by burial at St. Michael’s Catholic Cemetery, in Happy Valley. Father Yim commended on her life-long faithfulness in following God’s call to love him above all, and to love and serve her neighbours.
The Canossian Sisters ask Sister Bernadette to pray for us, for the grace of perseverance in living out radically this life of intimate love for him and all persons without distinction, especially the poorest, until our very last breath.
The Sisters and Sister Au’s family expressed gratitude to all who loved and supported her throughout her life and in her apostolate, and ask that prayers continue to be offered for the repose of her soul.
