In the life of the Catholic Church in Hong Kong, April holds special importance as it marks the anniversaries of being established as an apostolic prefecture on 22 April 1841 and, a century later, as the Diocese of Hong Kong on 11 April 1846.
Father Theodore Joset, a Swiss priest, pioneered the establishment of the Catholic mission in Hong Kong. In 1834, he was designated as the representative of the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith in the Portuguese colony of Macau. Father Joset recognised the need for pastoral care in Hong Kong during the First Opium War. The British soldiers in Hong Kong, many of whom were Irish Catholics, had no army chaplains and had to approach the Church in Macau for their pastoral care.
Given the alarming rate of illness and death among the soldiers, Father Joset realised that the services of Catholic priests had become an urgent requirement in Hong Kong. Consequently, Pope Gregory XVI transferred Father Joset from Macau to Hong Kong on 22 April 1841 and decreed to create an Apostolic Prefecture that would include “Hong Kong with the surrounding six leagues” and would be independent of the Diocese of Macau.
In 1847, missionaries of the Paris Foreign Missions [MEP] moved from Macau to Hong Kong. The following year, the Sisters of St. Paul de Chartres arrived to found the Asile de la St. Enfance in Wan Chai, where they took care of orphans, the sick, and the elderly. In 1858, the first missionaries of Milan also arrived in the territory.
The Catholic Church in Hong Kong has made significant contributions to healthcare and social services. Missionary sisters and brothers established hospitals, clinics, and orphanages, demonstrating their commitment to caring for the sick, marginalised, and vulnerable.
The pioneering missionaries founded schools and institutions that served as guiding lights of knowledge and ethical formation. In 1860, Fathers of the Foreign Missions of Milan, led by Father Timoleone Raimondi, inaugurated a school for European children on Staunton Street, and in 1864, they established another school called St. Saviour’s College. The college was renamed St. Joseph’s College after the missionaries from the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools [Lasalle Brothers] took up its administration in 1875.
On 4 October 1874, Hong Kong was elevated to an apostolic vicariate and Father Raimondi was appointed Bishop of Acanthus and Vicar-Apostolic of Hong Kong. Bishop Timoleone Raimondi had envisioned creating a Catholic publication since 1871, aiming to establish a magazine “for Hong Kong, for the entire China, and for Japan.”
The Hong Kong Catholic Register was established on 2 September 1877 and transitioned into a weekly publication in 1878. The Chinese Catholic weekly, Kung Kau Po, commenced on 4 August 1928 through the efforts of Fathers Andrea Granelli and Philip Lo. Father Nicola Maestrini was instrumental in establishing the present English Catholic weekly, the Sunday Examiner, on 3 March 1946.
As the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong marks its 78th anniversary, we honour the pioneering individuals who wholeheartedly devoted themselves to establishing a vibrant and influential Church in the area. Their impact in the fields of education, healthcare, social justice, and dialogue has significantly influenced Hong Kong society. Jose, CMF
