ASIA/HONG KONG - Irish missionary Marist Brother dies at 94 having spent 70 years on mission in the Far East

Hong Kong (Agenzia Fides) - Students and Marist brother teachers gathered for Mass on 2 June at St Francis parish in Hong Kong in memory of Irish born Fr. Kenny, who died at the age of 94 having spent 70 years on mission in the Far East. Hong Kong diocesan bulletin Kong Ko Bao said Kenny was born on 31 December 1911 and entered the seminary at the age of 13. He made his temporary vows as a Marist Brother in Italy 1928 and was sent on mission to the Far East. While teaching at a school in Sri Lanka he made his perpetual vows 1933. In 1936 he was sent to Shanghai, and then Tian Jin, to teach at the St Jean Colleges, St Francis and as headmaster of St Louis College. He then went to Hong Kong where in 1950 where he opened St. Francis college.
When he reached the age of retirement he taught Braille to local blind people. He was then sent to the Marist general house in Rome to write a history of the Marist Mission in China. It took him two years to complete. He returned to Ireland an old man but never forgot his mission in Hong Kong and the Chinese province. He continued to translate and write about the history of mission, exchanging letters with the confreres in Hong Kong to keep in touch with the life of the local Church. As headmaster Fr. Kenny won the hearts of the pupils with his affection and wisdom, especially children with problems and difficulties who called him affectionately ‘granddad’ .
The Institute of the Marist Brothers was started in France on 2 January 1817 by a young priest today Saint Marcellino Champagnat, profoundly concerned for the social and religious situation of the young people in his parish. He formed a first group of young men and sent them to teach catechism in the area. In a few years Marcellino Champagnat opened dozens of schools. The first Marists, animated with a simple slogan "Form honest citizens and good Christians", arrived in China in 1893. They opened many schools all over China and traces of Marists are found in Pechino, Shang Hai, Tian Jin, Qing Dao, Chong Qing and Kao Siung Taiwan. (Agenzia Fides 7/6/2006 Righe: 39 Parole: 478)