A school founded by pioneering Maryknoll Sisters in Hong Kong celebrates its centenary the Maryknoll way.

As Maryknoll Sister Susan Glass ambles down the sunny corridors of Maryknoll Convent School, throngs of little girls in light blue or orange uniforms greet her with shouts of joy and a collective hug.

The school marked its anniversary on Feb. 11, celebrating a century of affordable, quality education for Hong Kong students and instilling in multiple generations the Maryknoll Sisters’ spirit of service.

“Our emphasis is going beyond borders, whether it be geographical or sociological, to go beyond yourself and do something that’s outward looking,” Sister Glass says of the culture of the school. She is spiritual advisor to both the primary (ages 6-12) and secondary (ages 13-18) sections.

The prevailing spirit of “going beyond” has been at the heart of MCS from the start.

Founded in 1925 under the leadership of Maryknoll Sister Mary Paul McKenna, the school began as a kindergarten for 12 students before it moved in 1937 to the current facilities in Kowloon Tong.

During the Second Sino-Japanese War, when fighting broke out in Hong Kong in 1941, MCS became a first-aid post. The sisters cared for the wounded until a shell hit the school. As Hong Kong fell, the sisters pleaded to remain in the school to no avail. They were sent to Stanley Internment Camp in southern Hong Kong Island along with other prisoners, and the school became a Japanese military hospital.

First grade students paint banners to celebrate their first 100 days of school. This initiative combines academic lessons with dynamic activities that foster socialization. (Paul Jeffrey/Hong Kong)

A few sisters were released; others were exchanged for Japanese prisoners. In 1943, the remaining sisters left Hong Kong but never gave up the dream of returning to their beloved school. When the Japanese surrendered in 1945 at the end of World War II, the sisters returned to MCS and recovered the plundered buildings. They resumed classes and created educational programs for refugee children from China.

Today, MCS has 880 primary and 835 secondary students and is ranked among the best schools in the city. Its brick buildings, French tile roofs and courtyards were inspired by the Maryknoll Motherhouse in New York. In 2008, the all-girls school was declared a historic monument of Hong Kong.

Preparing a fitting celebration for such a legacy was no easy task, but Francisca Chan, of the class of 1992 and coordinator of the centenary, had a vision in mind.

Secondary section students throw the shot during physical education class. MCS offers 64 extracurricular clubs and teams focused on sports, music, service and academics. (Paul Jeffrey/Hong Kong)

“To spread kindness to the underprivileged. We want that to be part of our centenary,” Chan says. “Education is important, but also the values students learn and carry throughout their life.”

The yearlong celebration included a kick-off ceremony, a gala dinner, a symposium and a concert by alumnae and students. Cardinal Stephen Chow accepted the invitation to celebrate the anniversary Mass.

Students participated in an initiative called 100 Acts of Kindness that included donating used uniforms for reuse or upcycling, creating “boxes of hope” with toys for children in need, packing Christmas presents for patients at Our Lady of Maryknoll Hospital and fashioning dog toys for animal rescue charities.

“The spirit of service — this is the spirit of the Maryknoll Sisters,” says Cordelia Chung, chairperson of the Maryknoll Convent School Foundation. “We want to make sure we pass that on.”

The Foundation was incorporated in 2004 to take over the running of the school when fewer sisters were available to serve. 

At the start of each school day, primary section students line up for morning assembly to listen to announcements. (Paul Jeffrey/Hong Kong)

Fearful that they would have to give up the school, the late Maryknoll Sisters Jeanne Houlihan and Rose Duchesne Debrecht, who had been administrators and teachers at MCS, consulted with alumnae.

“What do you do when you get a call from the sisters?” says Amy Ho, class of 1979 and current supervisor of the school’s primary section. “You drop the telephone and run back to school.”

At a gathering with 40 alumnae, Ho remembers the late Maryknoll Sister Agnes Cazale “almost in tears” at the prospect of losing the school.

“Someone suggested, ‘Can we take over?’” Ho says. “There’s no precedent in Hong Kong. There’s never been an alumni lay group taking over a religious school.”

For Ho, who had been on the committee that wrote the Basic Law of Hong Kong as the British colony prepared to be transferred to China, this felt like a calling.

“I was familiar with the setting up of organizations, and that’s what I did with Sister Jeanne Houlihan,” Ho says. “There’s something about this school we want to preserve and if the sisters were indeed successful in educating us, then we would be the vessels of those somethings.”

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Ho embarked on another mission in 2019. She took a ferry across the Pearl River Delta to nearby Macau to ask Sister Susan Glass, then serving at a parish, to join the school staff. Three years ago, “Sister Sue,” as she is known by students and staff, joined MCS.

Sister Glass, 81, was first assigned to Hong Kong in 1980. Before then, the missioner from Milwaukee had taught in Catholic schools in Hawaii. In Hong Kong she set up a lay formation center in the New Territories and worked with the Diocese of Hong Kong to prepare for the hand-over to China in 1997.

Now, as spiritual advisor at MCS, Sister Glass offers students, parents and staff a space for contemplation.

Teenage students meet with her in the prayer room for counseling. Primary students place their textbooks on a table and pray with Sister Glass for good test scores.

“When Pope Francis asks us to be signs of hope for young people, the best sign is to be the best person we can be and to be happy about it,” says Sister Glass. “If young people see that, it would be a sign to them that they also can be happy and fulfilled.”

Maryknoll Sister Susan Glass, MCS spiritual advisor, gives Communion to a secondary section student during an All Saints Day Mass held at Maryknoll Convent School. (Paul Jeffrey/Hong Kong)

With the staff, Sister Glass leads teambuilding and spiritual exercises. “I think they appreciate that,” she says. “I have the same experience with the parents. Once a month we have a faith-sharing group.”

Teamwork and mentorship are instilled in MCS students from the start. Primary students are mentored by secondary students, who are in turn matched with alumnae who come back to the school to give talks and offer guidance.

“It’s one way for us to connect our students with alumnae who are role models,” says Ophelia Ngan, Class of 1984 and supervisor of the secondary section. “We offer a person who has gone through their journey to tell them about their own trials and tribulations, their choices, their careers,” she says.

The final event of the centenary is an example of such intergenerational collaboration. Led by an alumna, some of the primary and secondary students authored an interactive theatrical play to be performed at the closing ceremony.

For Sister Glass, the centenary is both a look back at the dreams envisioned by the Maryknoll Sisters and an opportunity to imagine what the future will bring.

“We can’t just stop and say, ‘Hey, isn’t this great?’” Sister Glass says. “What are we going to do for the next hundred years? How are we going to move that legacy into the future?” What truly matters, she says, is “to hold on to things that are going to move us forward.”

Featured Image: Primary section students at Maryknoll Convent School prepare to present for English class. Skills such as voice projection, pronunciation and confidence are emphasized. (Paul Jeffrey/Hong Kong)