TheCatholicChurchisoneofthefewinstitutionsthathavesurvivedsincetheinceptionoftheBritishcolony.Shehascontributedmuchduringitsdevelopment.Asearlyas1841,shesetupamissioninHongKong.SheandhervariousreligiousordersandcongregationsengagedincharitableworksforthepoorandtheelderlyintheearlydaysofHongKong,greatlyrelievingtheburdenonthenewlyestablishedcolonialgovernment.Today,apartfromreligiousservices,theCatholicChurchstillplaysanimportantroleinprovidingHongKongwithdiversifiedandprofessionalservicesinmedicalcare,educationandsocialwelfare.
HistoricalstudiesontheCatholicChurchinHongKongofacomprehensivenaturearerareincomparisonwithotherreligions.ThereasonsofthismayincludethecomplicatedorganizationalstructureoftheCatholicChurchandthemultiplelanguagesusedinthearchivaldocuments,suchasLatin,French,ItalianandPortuguese.AsaCatholicclergy,theauthorofthisbook,FrLouisHa,isknowledgeableabouttheinternaloperationoftheChurch.HeisalsofamiliarwithmanyEuropeanlanguageswhichhelphimmastertheoriginalrecordsandguaranteethecredibleresultofhisresearch.
ThecontentsofthisbookarebasedonthelargenumberofdocumentsprovidedbytheHongKongDiocesanArchivesOffice,byarchivesintheVaticanandinvariousreligiousordersinEurope.Asanobjectiveandimpartialhistorian,Fr.LouisHahonestlypointedoutthepowerstruggleintheChurch,theconfrontationwiththegovernment,thecompetitionbetweenChineseandforeignclerics.Infact,acandiddescriptionoftheCatholicChurchinHongKongisshowninfrontofthereaders.Definitely,itisapreciousreferencebookforthestudyofthelocalsociety,religion,education,andcharitableworkinearlyHongKong.
FOUNDATION French education KONG MISSION RELIGION HONG
