The Maryknoll Sisters of St. Dominic (originally known as the Foreign Mission Sisters of St. Dominic) were the first American Catholic congregation established for the purpose of sending missionaries overseas. The congregation was formed in 1912, and subsequently received permission from Rome to send missionaries abroad. The Motherhouse (now known as the Maryknoll Sisters Center) is situated in Ossining, New York, USA.
The foundress of the congregation, Mother Mary Joseph Rogers (Mollie Rogers; 1882-1955) was born in a suburb of Boston and received her degree in zoology from Smith College, a prestigious women’s college in Northampton, Massachusetts. She later worked as a demonstrator at Smith College. In 1906 Mollie met with Father James Anthony Walsh (who would found the Maryknoll Fathers); both were interested in overseas missionary work. From 1908 to 1912 Mollie assisted in the publication of the mission magazine, The Field Afar.
The year 1912 marked the beginning of the history of the Maryknoll Sisters. Seven women, including Mollie, volunteered to be “secretaries” for The Field Afar. In 1920, Rome gave permission to the Foreign Mission Sisters of St. Dominic (generally called the Maryknoll Sisters) to send missionaries abroad.
In 1954 the Maryknoll Sisters became a Pontifical Institute, and the congregation changed its name to the Maryknoll Sisters of St. Dominic.
Early Beginnings: The 1920s
The 1920s witnessed many of Maryknoll’s “firsts.” In 1921 the Maryknoll Sisters sent their pioneering group of missionaries abroad, and on November 3, six religious women missionaries arrived in Hong Kong. The first overseas mission house of the Maryknoll Sisters was at 19 Chatham Road, adjacent to Rosary Church; it remained the Sisters’ convent until 1923, when they moved to 103 Austin Road.
In 1923, Mother Mary Joseph Rogers made her first visitation to Asia, traveling to Hong Kong and other Chinese cities. She supported the first major endeavor of the Sisters, who started the Industrial Department in the convent garage on Austin Road in 1924. The Industrial Department provided Chinese women with an opportunity to earn their living by making vestments sold through mail order to priests in the United States. Women recognized their own ability and had confidence in themselves.
In 1925, the Maryknoll Sisters established their first school in Hong Kong. On February 11, they opened a kindergarten for twelve Portuguese children in the convent at 103 Austin Road. This became the Maryknoll Convent School (MCS). There was a demand for high-quality English-language education, and the Sisters responded to this need. In 1927, Mother Mary Joseph Rogers visited Hong Kong again.
In 1928 MCS moved to King’s Terrace, next to the convent, and in 1929, it moved again to Torres Building, 2 Kimberly Road. By then, the Sisters could claim many nationalities among their students: Chinese, Japanese, English, Portuguese, Irish, French, German, Russian, American, Indian, and so on.
Since their early days, the Maryknoll Sisters played an active role in society, helping Chinese women secure better livelihoods through the Industrial Department, and offering education to children irrespective of race, religion, or social background. Their second school, Holy Spirit (later known as the Maryknoll Sisters School), was opened on Caine Road in 1927.
Moving to Kowloon Tong: The 1930s
The 1930s were a decade of challenge. Kowloon Tong was developing as a settlement for Chinese and Portuguese families; hillsides were leveled and roads were cut down. In 1932, with the completion of St. Teresa’s on Prince Edward Road, the Catholic Church opened a parish in Kowloon Tong. To keep pace with the development of the government and the Church, the Maryknoll Sisters bought a plot of 200,000 square feet on Waterloo Road and Boundary Street for the construction of the MCS Building, and in 1932 MCS relocated to 248 Prince Edward Road.
At last, in May 1937, MCS moved to its present campus. The Industrial Department also moved to a structure adjacent to the building and linked to it by an archway. (Today this location is the Sisters’ convent.) The MCS Building, with its tower and courtyard, was built in imitation of the Maryknoll Sisters’ Motherhouse, which had been completed a few years earlier in Ossining, New York.
War Years & the Return of the Sisters: The 1940s
The Japanese occupation of Hong Kong began in December 1941 and lasted until August 1945. The Japanese invasion came on December 8, 1941.
Sister Santa Maria Manning recounted what had happened that morning:
Just at the end of the Gospel, the air raid siren blew. We pricked up our ears but, as the buses still ran, we thought it was a “rehearsal,” as we have had a few recently. On leaving the Church, we saw about 30 planes circling about like beautiful silver birds against a deep blue sky. The crack of anti-aircraft guns and machine gun fire told us it was no display. Men were flat against walls and we rushed for the convent with the now scattered planes nearly overhead. Somehow, we got across the street and gathered together many frightened children standing by the gate and under the archway. We took them quickly to the laundry, until some one from inside opened the “tiffin room,” a partly underground room and a made-to-order shelter.1
Soon the MCS Building became a hospital for Japanese soldiers. For two months, the Maryknoll Sisters remained in the building; then in February 1942, they were sent to the Stanley Internment Camp. Subsequently, the Sisters were released and repatriated. By January 1943, all Maryknoll Sisters had left Hong Kong, and they did not return until late 1945.
In January 1946 MCS reopened. The Sisters reoccupied part of the building which was still used for accommodating sick soldiers. Until May 1946, the Sisters lived with 600 Japanese soldiers in the building.
In December 1946 the first group of Maryknoll Sisters, who were sent abroad after the war, arrived back in Hong Kong. Among the group were Sisters Rose Duchesne Debrecht, M. Corinne Rost, and Miriam Xavier Mug; they began teaching right away. There was no time to lose, especially for children who did not receive education during the war years. Sometimes, students at the school registered their age as a few years younger than it actually was. MCS also took some La Salle boys, as their teachers, the Christian Brothers, had not yet recovered their school building.
Postwar Years: The 1950s
The 1950s witnessed an upsurge in demand for education. There was an explosion of the local population, and indeed the postwar years opened up tremendous opportunities.
In the 1950s Kowloon Tong was a rapidly growing settlement, and in 1950, MCS celebrated its silver jubilee. In 1953 the long-anticipated convent, whose construction was delayed during the war, was completed. The Sisters moved into the adjacent convent, and the entire MCS Building was then devoted to teaching purposes.
For more than twenty years until 1958, Sister Ann Mary Farrell was principal of MCS. Under her leadership, MCS continued as a grant-in-aid school (whose outstanding education standard was recognized by the government), and its graduates entered the University of Hong Kong. The Student Council also came into being. MCS maintained the high moral and academic standards expected by the Sisters, students, and society. Sister M. de Ricci Cain replaced Sister Ann Mary Farrell as principal in 1959.
At the same time, the Sisters continued the Boys and Girls Club at MCS, for the less advantaged children.
Years of Expansion: The 1960s
The 1960s were years of expansion. In 1960 the MCS Secondary Section moved to the new building at 5 Ho Tung Road. With the increase in student numbers, expansion of the school campus was necessary. The Sisters assumed greater responsibilities for both the primary and secondary schools. In 1961 Sister Miriam Xavier Mug became principal of the Primary Section, and in 1967 Sister M. Corinne Rost took up the post. In 1965 Sister Rose Duchesne Debrecht replaced Sister M. de Ricci Cain as principal of the Secondary Section.
In 1967 the Head Prefect Shelley Lee suggested the formation of the Students’ Association, and the secondary-school students drafted their own constitution. The Students’ Association received guidance from Sister Jeanne Houlihan.
Sister Rose Duchesne Debrecht (principal, 1965-1972) said:
Working with the students and knowing that they found delight in being with you. Classroom atmosphere was always very enriching. I look back on it with much joy and appreciation. Particularly now, when former students come back and they will say things, “Sister remember when you said such and such” and “remember when you taught us this.”…So, I find this very heartwarming…
We certainly had close relationships with our students, yes. I think I was more interested in their formation in terms of good character formation, providing a set of values that would carry them through their future adult life, hoping that the seeds of faith would be planted in many hearts.
Maryknoll Convent School has created a priceless history. Each and every person, who has been a participant in the school’s life, is to be given a grateful pat on the back for contributions so steadfastly made…. Our dream is that we’ll continue being adaptable to technological and other types of change, while we radiate the ideals of Maryknoll.
Let’s continue giving dynamic witness to truth, peace and justice through loving communion with all creatures in God’s universe.2
Endnotes
Image credit: Alan via Adobe Stock. In-text image of Mother Mary Joseph Rogers (Mollie Rogers) courtesy of the author.
Cindy Yik-yi Chu
Cindy Yik-yi Chu 朱益宜 is professor of history at Hong Kong Baptist University and editor of the Christianity in Modern China Series of Palgrave Macmillan. She has published 17 books and more than 50 articles in edited volumes and journals. Her recent works include: People, Communities, and the Catholic Church …View Full Bio