The Irish Jesuits in China

Copy of a report on the Chinese mission written in French relating to a suitable mission district for the Irish Jesuit mission in China. Includes a document on the same subject prepared by Fr Tom Cooney SJ.

Photograph of Fr Richard Gallagher SJ, with writing on reverse 'My dear Pauline, Just a wee line of best wishes for a happy Christmas ...The people with me are all lepers. I paid them a visit last August'.

Pamphlet entitled 'The Irish Jesuits in China'.

Note relating to a decision to open an Apostolic School at Loyola - to train possible candidates for the Society.

Mission bulletin No.2 entitled ‘Irish Jesuits in China’, which mentions the work and demand for the services of Fr Gallagher. Gives brief background information on Fr Gallagher.

A file relating to the possibility of working with lepers in China.

Photocopy map depicting eastern China (newspaper cutting).

Magazine entitled 'The Far East' published by the Maynooth Mission to China.

A file relating to visitors to the Chinese/Hong Kong mission. The letters relate to the administration of the mission and the Jesuits working in the mission. Includes a copy of a letter from the Superior of the mission Fr Thomas F Ryan SJ to Fr Visitor, Fr Burkhardt SJ concerning the mission in light of the communist occupation of the neighbouring provinces of China. Describes the effects of this occupation on the work of the mission (15 January 1950, 11pp).

Letter from J. E. Walsh, Superior General, Maryknoll, New York to Irish Fr Provincial John R. MacMahon SJ, St Francis Xavier's Church, Upper Gardiner Street, Dublin concerning notes sent from China intended for the Irish Province.

Letter from Irish Fr Provincial John Fahy SJ to Fr Aubrey Gwynn SJ concerning the newly founded ‘lectureship in Ancient History in U.C.D.’. ‘I feel that you will be very much disappointed when I ask you… to present yourself as a candidate; for I know that you wish to go to China. Do try to forgive me when I ask you to do something that pleases you less.’

Copy of a letter from Harold Craig SJ, Archbishop's House, Darjeeling, India to [ ] thanking him for sending a copy of the Irish Province News. Describes his journey from Hong Kong to India with Fr Thomas Ryan SJ, and off walks near San Dak Fu, views of Everest, and the porters (Sherpas).

Letter from Fr Edward J. Galvin, Catholic Mission, Chii Chow via Lanchi, Chekaing, China to the Apostolics of Mungret College encouraging the students to persevere with their vocation and to consider China for their future work.

Jesuits under fire in the siege of Hong Kong, 1941. Burns Oates & Washbourne, London, 1944.

A file relating to Irish Jesuits working and living in China and Hong Kong during the rise in communism after the Second World War. Includes newspaper cuttings and descriptions by the Irish Jesuits of their experiences.

Irish Jesuits in South China: a record of twenty five years
The Local Printing Press, Ltd, Hong Kong

In Xavier's footsteps: the Irish Jesuit mission to South China.
Office of the Irish Messenger, [Dublin], 1934

Many Jesuit Provinces had missions in China before 1926 when the Vicar Apostolic of Hong Kong, Fr Henry Valtorta (1883-1953), invited the Irish Jesuits to his vicariate. In October 1926, Frs George Byrne (1879-1962) and John Neary (1889-1983) left Dublin for Hong Kong, which became a Mission for the Irish Province. They were joined, in early 1927, by Fr Daniel Finn (1886-1936) from Australia and later by Frs Richard Gallagher (1887-1960), Patrick Joy (1892-1970) and Daniel MacDonald (1891-1957).

The initial work of the mission concentrated in Hong Kong, with some teaching in Canton and Macao. Their works involved: reviving the Catholic journal, ‘The Rock’; the opening of a hostel (Ricci Hall) for Chinese Catholic students at the University of Hong Kong (1929-); their involvement in the Regional Seminary, Aberdeen, Hong Kong (1931-1964), Wah Yan College, Hong Kong (1932-) and Wah Yan College, Kowloon (1952-). Some lecturing occurred in the university, in areas such as archaeology, education, engineering, and geography. In Canton, Frs Michael Saul (1884-1932) and Joseph McCullough (1892-1932) died from cholera. Hong Kong was under Japanese occupation 1941 - 1945. The Irish Jesuits organised a school for refugees from Hong Kong in Macao and the Regional Seminary was also moved to Macao. Wah Yan College was closed in 1941 and reopened in 1945. Fr Thomas Ryan’s account “Jesuits under Fire in the siege of Hong Kong 1941” deals fully with this time.

After World War Two, the Irish Jesuits established a language school, student centre and parish in Canton. They were expelled by the Communists in [1953]. Wah Yan College grew and developed and further works included the foundation of a university hostel at Kingsmead Hall, Singapore and at Xavier Hall, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia. Other works of note that Irish Jesuits had a hand in establishing and running in Hong Kong include: the Hong Kong Housing Society (1938); Wah Yan Relief Association (1938); Shoeshine Boys Club (1952-1962); the Credit Union Movement (1962); Rehabilitation Centre for the Handicapped (1962); Catholic Marriage Advisory Council (1963); Road Safety Association for Schools (1964); Industrial Relations Institute (1968); Chinese Opera in English (1960s); Fisherman’s Children School (1960s) and Welfare for Police in the Training School. In 1966, Hong Kong became a Jesuit Vice-Province and in 1985, the Province of Macau-Hong Kong was established. Today, Hong Kong is a unit within the Chinese Jesuit Province.

Over a hundred Irish Jesuits have served in Hong Kong, China, Malaysia and Singapore - 30 of whom are buried in St. Michael’s Cemetery in Hong Kong and two in mainland China.

South China Morning Post, Hong Kong, [1939]

A file relating to the publication 'The Rock'. Includes financial details of the publication and letters relating to the political nature of some of the articles.

A file relating to the establishment of a foreign mission to China and the foundation of a school for higher studies in Hong Kong.

Copies of documents sent to the Province entitled 'China. Secretive Directives on how to Destroy the Church' from International Fides Service.

Copy of a document from Rome concerning studies in the Chinese language for Jesuit Missioners.

Document concerning new regulations on the type of apostolate work being carried out in China. The document was circulated at a General Congregation of the Society.

Custom book for the Chinese mission. Includes comments on the Custom book.

A file relating to correspondence of bequests made to Irish Fr Provincial regarding the Hong Kong and China missions.

• Perpetual burse in memory of Fr WM. Doyle SJ in the new seminary in Hong Kong (1936);
• Perpetual burse in memory of Fr Walsh SJ in Hong Kong (1936);
• Memorial burse in memory of Fr Fegan SJ in China (1936);
• List of burse money for the education of Chinese Jesuits (13 September 1940);
• Statement of accounts for quarter the Ricci Mission Unit (1 July - 30 September 1943).

Booklet published by the Irish Messenger entitled 'The Irish Jesuits in China'.

Article published in 'The Irish Monthly' by most Rev. Dr. Paul Yu Pin entitled 'Recall to Tradition in the Chinese Missions'.

Article entitled ‘Missionary endeavour of the Irish Province of the Society of Jesus from 1915 to 1940’ which gives a history of the mission in Hong Kong and China.

Article entitled ‘Cross-roads in China’ by Fr Thomas Ryan SJ, which discusses the transformation in Chinese society, pre and post war, missionaries, Catholicism and schools.

Statement of an agreement signed by the Vicars Apostolic in China as a model for any group of Jesuits coming to work in China.

Advertisement leaflet for a sale of work in aid of the Irish Jesuit mission to China.