Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Hong Kong (Agenzia Fides) – The monastery of Trappist monks in Hong Kong dedicated to "Our Lady of Joy", usually marked by its silence and prayer, on January 30 held a great celebration for the perpetual vows of two monks. The joy was immense, not only because after so many years the monastery which had only two elderly monks has two new vocations, but also because their religious profession was held during the Diocesan Year for Priestly Vocations. As Abbot Anastasius Li Sun affirmed, before hundreds of participants in the ritual: "I hope that everyone will especially remember vocations for the diocese, religious institutes, and the monastery."
According to reports from Kong Ko Bao (the Chinese version of the diocesan bulletin), the two monks, who visibly moved, took their vows before the congregation, firmly reiterating their commitment to devote themselves to the contemplative life "by observing silence, prayer, work, and a life of holiness."
The Abbey of Our Lady of Joy in Hong Kong is highly regarded and respected on the island and also on the continent. The 16 monks built their own beautiful monastery on the mountain that was once the most remote desert island, a gift from the Hong Kong government to the monks when they fled from the mainland in 1950, taking with them no more than the tunics they were wearing. With their hard work and dedication, the monks have turned this place into a spiritual oasis on the island, which is also home to various species of wild life.
The Trappist-Cistercians, founded at Citeaux in 1098, arrived in China's He Bei Province in 1883 and founded the "Our Lady of Consolation Abbey,” who was the first Cistercian monastery in Asia. In 1928 they founded another, “Our Lady of Joy Abbey,” also in He Bei. The order was dissolved by force in July 1947 and the monastery was destroyed in August of that year. But the monks did not give up, and in 1947 they moved to the city of Cheng Du, in the Province of Si Chuan, and then to Hong Kong in 1950, with the 16 remaining monks who rebuilt the Our Lady of Joy Abbey. In 1986, they opened the monastery of "The Holy Mother of God in Nan Tou, Taiwan. Today, living in the monastery in Hong Kong are 17 monks: 9 priests and 8 brothers. (NZ) (Agenzia Fides 04/02/2010)
