After visiting the seminary at Aberdeen, yesterday's RAS trip took us to see Maryknoll. Here's the view as you arrive. The chapel is in the left wing:
Inside the chapel:
View across from the chapel:
Looking north to the Twins, and the start of the Wilson Trail:
And south over Stanley Bay:
Again we were given a good introduction to the building by Dr Waters. The house was completed in 1935, but as with the seminary at Aberdeen, the Depression meant it was smaller than originally planned.
Some of the fiercest fighting in 1941 took place in Stanley, in the final stages of the battle with the Japanese. Luckily the building wasn't severely damaged, and 'fortunately' it was taken over by the Japanese Secret Police during the occupation. This protected it from the looting which most large buildings suffered.
There are a couple of good documents for further information:
And a final couple of points that caught my eye. The bottles used to hold boiled drinking water (at least, I assume it was water!) on the first or second floors were different. I wondered if new visitors were assigned to the floor depending on their drinking preferences - Jim Beam, and you're on the first floor:
Catholic Foreign Mission Society of America was started in 1911 by a few American priests with the mission of going overseas to preach. Its HQ is located on a small hill in Ossining, New York. With the statue of Mother Mary on its grounds, it gradually became known as Maryknoll. The HK Maryknoll House was built in a similar architectural style.
Maryknoll Fathers HQ, Ossining, NY, by tkjho
Holy Mary statue on the knoll - the namesake of Maryknoll, by tkjho
The motherhouse of the Maryknoll Sisters is also located nearby.
In 1912, the Catholic Foreign Mission Society of America set their headquarters in Ossining, New York, on top of a hill they called "Mary's Knoll", the first house in Hawthorne, New York, being too small. Eventually, this was shortened to "Maryknoll".
Fathers James Walsh and Thomas Price were the co-founders in 1911. The Field Afar became their official publication.
In 1912 three women arrived to assist the Fathers. This group would grow and become known as the Maryknoll Sisters; the men as the Maryknoll Brothers.
In 1913 Maryknoll's first preparatory college, The Venard, opened in Scranton, PA.
In 1918 The first four brothers went out to China to serve in Hong Kong, Fathers Walsh and Price being two of them.
In 1919 co-founder Father Price died in St Paul's Hospital, Hong Kong, and was buried in Happy Valley Cemetery.
In 1921 the first Sisters arrived in Hong Kong. The work spread to Korea and Manchuria and beyond.
In August 1942, 60 Maryknoll priests, 31 Maryknoll Sisters and 6 Maryknoll Brothers were released from internment in Hong Kong, Japan, Korea and Manchukuo and repatriated on the SS Gripsholmto Jersey City NJ.
In subsequent years the Maryknoll Mission grew to become a worldwide organisation.
2. Field Trip to Maryknoll House, Stanley by the Royal Asiatic Society on 8 December 1984. Written by Father Michael McKeirnan or McKiernan who had arrived in Hong Kong in one of the last flying boats just before the Japanese invasion. An interesting read: https://hkjo.lib.hku.hk/archive/files/c6fddd943c0a7783a7c68dbdb1c05e20.pdf
Comments
Visit to Maryknoll
After visiting the seminary at Aberdeen, yesterday's RAS trip took us to see Maryknoll. Here's the view as you arrive. The chapel is in the left wing:
Inside the chapel:
View across from the chapel:
Looking north to the Twins, and the start of the Wilson Trail:
And south over Stanley Bay:
Again we were given a good introduction to the building by Dr Waters. The house was completed in 1935, but as with the seminary at Aberdeen, the Depression meant it was smaller than originally planned.
Some of the fiercest fighting in 1941 took place in Stanley, in the final stages of the battle with the Japanese. Luckily the building wasn't severely damaged, and 'fortunately' it was taken over by the Japanese Secret Police during the occupation. This protected it from the looting which most large buildings suffered.
There are a couple of good documents for further information:
And a final couple of points that caught my eye. The bottles used to hold boiled drinking water (at least, I assume it was water!) on the first or second floors were different. I wondered if new visitors were assigned to the floor depending on their drinking preferences - Jim Beam, and you're on the first floor:
Smirnoff, and it's up to the second !
Maryknoll
Greetings:
Is this school related to the Maryknoll girls school on Boundary Street in Kowloon? Thanks. OldTimer
re: Maryknoll
Hi OldTimer,
No & yes....
This building isn't a school. The notes from 1984 mentioned above give three reasons the house was built. It was to be:
But yes, this organisation set up three schools in Hong Kong:
However the Maryknoll Sisters stopped running that last school in 1978-9, and in 1983 its name was changed to Marymount.
Maryknoll
Thank you Mr. B. I read the 1984 notes with interest.
Maryknoll built 1935
as mentioned in yr history above
Maryknoll Stanley
Maryknoll Stanley photo. Many more over at:
Source: http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/search/controller/view/impa-m2189.html
Catholic Foreign Mission Society of America - Maryknoll
Catholic Foreign Mission Society of America was started in 1911 by a few American priests with the mission of going overseas to preach. Its HQ is located on a small hill in Ossining, New York. With the statue of Mother Mary on its grounds, it gradually became known as Maryknoll. The HK Maryknoll House was built in a similar architectural style.
The motherhouse of the Maryknoll Sisters is also located nearby.
Maryknoll House in Stanley - going, going ...........
Sold to developers in 2016, rezoned as residential, may not exist in its present form too much longer.
2016 Real Estate listing
Developer gets go-ahead to demolish historic Maryknoll House
A farewell to historic Maryknoll House
Origin of Maryknoll name
In 1912, the Catholic Foreign Mission Society of America set their headquarters in Ossining, New York, on top of a hill they called "Mary's Knoll", the first house in Hawthorne, New York, being too small. Eventually, this was shortened to "Maryknoll".
Fathers James Walsh and Thomas Price were the co-founders in 1911. The Field Afar became their official publication.
In 1912 three women arrived to assist the Fathers. This group would grow and become known as the Maryknoll Sisters; the men as the Maryknoll Brothers.
In 1913 Maryknoll's first preparatory college, The Venard, opened in Scranton, PA.
In 1918 The first four brothers went out to China to serve in Hong Kong, Fathers Walsh and Price being two of them.
In 1919 co-founder Father Price died in St Paul's Hospital, Hong Kong, and was buried in Happy Valley Cemetery.
In 1921 the first Sisters arrived in Hong Kong. The work spread to Korea and Manchuria and beyond.
In August 1942, 60 Maryknoll priests, 31 Maryknoll Sisters and 6 Maryknoll Brothers were released from internment in Hong Kong, Japan, Korea and Manchukuo and repatriated on the SS Gripsholm to Jersey City NJ.
In subsequent years the Maryknoll Mission grew to become a worldwide organisation.
Source: Maryknoll Mission Archives
Maryknoll, Stanley
1. A short history: https://stanleymaryknoll.typepad.com/chinahands/2010/07/the-stanley-house-a-short-history.html
2. Field Trip to Maryknoll House, Stanley by the Royal Asiatic Society on 8 December 1984. Written by Father Michael McKeirnan or McKiernan who had arrived in Hong Kong in one of the last flying boats just before the Japanese invasion. An interesting read: https://hkjo.lib.hku.hk/archive/files/c6fddd943c0a7783a7c68dbdb1c05e20.pdf