We celebrated the 250th anniversary of the birth of St Magdalene of Canossa and the missionary work of Canossian Sisters in Hong Kong on 8 May 2024 with a Eucharistic Celebration and activites in the College Hall.
The theme of this year is ‘Set Life on Fire’. In the homily, Rev Father Philip Chan reminded us of the importance of nurturing a passion in whatever we do. He illustrated the impact of getting along with motivated people with his personal experience in burning the rotten wood, making us see the power of an effective firewood. In St Magdalene of Canossa’s mind, ‘Charity is a fire that keeps spreading and seeks to embrace everything. Humility is the foundation and support of all virtues.’
The second part of the Foundress Day celebration began after the tradition of ice-cream treats from Sr Veronica Fok, our School Principal. The programme included a Kahoot quiz on the Canossian Missions, featuring the establishment of the charity and the missionary work of the six pioneer Canossian Sisters in Hong Kong. Then, Sr Rita Chung and Sr Catherine Fung shared their thoughts on ‘Set Life on Fire’. Four students recalled how they applied the spirit of St Magdelene in their daily lives. They realised the goals of serving the needy with humility by fulfilling their own duties, serving the teachers, attending the Mass, participating in parish activities, packing lunch boxes for the needy, visiting the elderly homes, giving homework tutorials to primary school students, to name but a few.
In Sr Veronica’s sharing, she made a point that until we are open and lit up, we remain a wrapped candle. The Principal invited two teachers, Mr Jackson Yau and Miss Vincy Tam to the stage. Mr Yau inspired everyone with his life-changing experience of seeing a priest serving the needy without thinking of personal interests. Miss Tam shared her joy in committing to regular service.
The Foundress Day celebration programme also included a puzzle game, Bible reading and prayers to help us engage in ‘Set Life on Fire’. We ended the celebration with the Official Hymn to St Magdalene of Canossa.
