HONG KONG (SE): The red-brick convent building of Maryknoll Convent School [MCS], a declared monument since 2008 and a historic landmark in Kowloon Tong for decades, is set for revitalisation. With generous support from the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, the Maryknoll Convent School Foundation [the sponsoring body of MCS] launched “The Knoll – Jockey Club Maryknoll Centre for Heritage, Education and Service,” a community project.
The transformation coincides with and celebrates the MCS centenary in 2025. The Convent Building, built in 1937 alongside other campus structures on Waterloo Road, is located to the east of the main building near the school entrance on Boundary Street.
It was originally used as an “industrial department” for young women from underprivileged families to gain financial independence. The Maryknoll Sisters taught them to sew and embroider, producing beautiful handmade vestments for priests.
In the 1970s, the building served as a convent for the sisters. As the number of sisters declined, it was handed over to the foundation in 2019.
Initially planned as a school facility, a structural inspection revealed a range of historical materials in the attic, including scrolls of embroidery patterns, haberdashery, purchase orders for vestments, and embroidery tools.
The Convent Building, built in 1937 alongside other campus structures on Waterloo Road, is located to the east of the main building near the school entrance on Boundary Street
These artifacts were preserved and archived during the summer of 2021 by a team of students, alumnae, and staff. The items were later sent to the Chinese University of Hong Kong for restoration, unveiling heart-warming stories about the Maryknoll Sisters’ efforts to empower women.
The Sewing Workshop, which was opened in 1924 and moved to the Convent Building in 1937, began with mail orders from the Maryknoll Sisters’ Motherhouse in the United States and grew into a global enterprise producing garments for priests worldwide.
Over 90 women worked there in the 1930s, and they were allowed to bring their children to work, demonstrating the sisters’ innovative efforts to support and empower women.
An exhibition, “Habits and Haberdashery,” was held in the summer of 2022 at the Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre, introducing the discovered relics and stories of the Sisters’ pioneering work.
The revitalisation project will transform the 700-square-metre, two-storey building into a vibrant community centre for heritage, education, and service.
Exhibits in the Heritage Centre will include immersive VR experiences that showcase the history of the Maryknoll Sisters, their missionary journey to Hong Kong, and their contributions to society.
The name The Knoll [諾源], derived from “Maryknoll” and the Chinese characters for “promise” [諾] and “origin” [源], reflects the spiritual origin of the sisters’ vision and mission
Visitors will be invited to explore how the sisters expanded their mission from education to women’s and children’s welfare, relief work, social services, housing, medical care, and catechetical work.
The significance of the heritage inspired the foundation to open The Knoll to the wider community. While MCS students benefit from a nurturing and stimulating learning environment, the project also aims to provide underprivileged students with access to similar opportunities and facilities.
Among the centre’s key educational initiatives is the “Learning English through Heritage” programme, which will welcome students from partner schools for extracurricular activities to improve their English skills in a caring and supportive environment.
The second floor of the building, resembling a chapel, will serve multiple purposes, such as choir rehearsals, community gatherings, training sessions, and performances.
Construction of The Knoll began in May this year and is expected to be completed in about two and a half years, with a full opening planned for 2027 following a six-month soft launch.
Visitors will be invited to explore how the sisters expanded their mission from education to women’s and children’s welfare, relief work, social services, housing, medical care, and catechetical work
The name The Knoll [諾源], derived from “Maryknoll” and the Chinese characters for “promise” [諾] and “origin” [源], reflects the spiritual origin of the sisters’ vision and mission
This naming emphasises the Foundation’s promise to honour the Sisters’ teachings and carry their spirit forward to educate, serve, and empower future generations.
The revitalisation project is about more than preserving the building’s tangible façade or assigning new functions. It embodies the Maryknoll Sisters’ motto, “to make God’s love visible,” by continuing their legacy of service and education. The Knoll promises to be a place where this legacy is shared with the community, ensuring the Sisters’ contributions endure.
In celebration of the centenary, a series of meaningful events—including 100 Acts of Kindness, a gala dinner, a symposium, a concert, Fantasia of Light, Relay for Love, and an immersive play—are being jointly organised by the Maryknoll family. These events pay tribute to the enduring legacy of the Maryknoll Sisters and the lasting impact of Maryknoll Convent School.
Maryknoll Convent School
