St Teresa's Church [1932- ] | Gwulo: Old Hong Kong

St Teresa's Church [1932- ]

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Submitted by Admin on Tue, 2010-06-15 18:19
Current condition: 
In use
Date Place completed: 
1932-01-01
Tags: 
church
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1932
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Comments

Submitted by tngan on Mon, 2011-03-28 18:09.

Completed in 1932.

Submitted by David on Mon, 2011-03-28 22:06.

Hi T, Any source for this date?

Regards, David

Submitted by moddsey on Mon, 2011-03-28 22:30.

PWD Annual Report 1932 indicates a church of note was built on Prince Edward Road. So does this link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/asianfiercetiger/5051135496/

Submitted by tngan on Mon, 2011-03-28 22:32.

Hi there,

I googled it and found this document, page 12.

Best Regards,

T

Submitted by David on Mon, 2011-03-28 22:46.

Thank you!

Regards, David

Submitted by Admin on Mon, 2013-06-10 21:54.

St. Teresa's Church

I well remember this beautiful church in which I was married on November 6, 1957. Fr. Orlando was the officiating priest. After our marriage we settled in a Jardines flat on Boundary Street. Macau was a popular destination for honeymooners and we did that too.


Submitted by Bob Tatz on Fri, 2013-06-07 10:17
.

Likewise. We lived opposite

Likewise. We lived opposite the church in Pauls Mansions for a time when it was perhaps the tallest structure in the area. From the corner of Prince Edward Rd and Waterloo Rd, I would walk to school down past Kowloon Hospital and then up Perth St.


Submitted by gkwalker on Sat, 2013-06-08 22:31
.

St.Teresa's Church

Well remember this Church having driven past it every day when living in La Salle Road during the 60's.

Seem to recall it had some trouble with it's foundations around that time and had developed a slight lean. 

Harry


Submitted by harryhktc on Sun, 2013-06-09 20:04
.

St Teresa's Church

I remember seeing in the 1990s, on an inside wall, by the main entrance, an engraved list of benefactors, with black embossing. The embossing had been removed from one name, although it was still easily legible. That  name was Benito Mussolini. I wonder if it is still there. 


Submitted by HO Lim-peng on Mon, 2013-06-10 02:35
.

 

Mussolini

The connection is told here


Submitted by moddsey on Mon, 2013-06-10 03:15
.

Submitted by harryhktc on Sat, 2013-11-23 20:25.

As it is now ....

St Teresa's Church

Submitted by eurasian_david on Fri, 2020-01-24 06:44.

NEW CATHOLIC CHURCH.

-------------------------------------

BISHOP VALTORTA BLESSES CORNER STONE.

------------------------------------------------------------------

WORTHY HOMAGE TO ST. THERESA.

-------------------------------------------------------

The Roman Catholic Bishop, Mgr. H. Valtorta, D.D., performed the ceremony of laying the corner stone of the new St. Theresa’s Church at Kowloon Tong on Saturday. The Catholic community was very well represented at the function, among those present being the nuns of the Italian Convent and the Clergy of all the Orders serving in Hong Kong. 

After the Bishop had blessed the corner stone and sprinkled holy water on it, he proceeded to a position just inside the main entrance of the sacred edifice where he led the Litany of the Saints. 

Afterwards the Bishop returned to the corner stone and laid it at the foot of the tower, to the right of the main entrance as one faces it.  

The Inscription. 

The stone, which was a slab of white marble, was inscribed in black as under: - 

“To the Glory of God and in the Honour of St. Theresa of the Child Jesus, this Foundation Stone has been laid by His Lordship H. Valtorta, Vicar Apostolic of Hong Kong.

Kowloon, 23rd April 1932.” 

His Lordship was later presented by the contractors with a silver trowel and a wooden mallet with silver ends. The trowel was inscribed as follows: -  

“St. Theresa’s Church, April 23, 1932. Presented by Mee On and Co.” 

Following the laying of the corner stone, the procession proceeded to walk round the interior of the structure where halts were made at various points for the Bishop to bless the foundation of the building. 

Bishop’s Address. 

His Lordship then addressed the gathering at some length. He said that he could not adequately express his joy at being able to lay the corner stone of such a fine and big Church. He rejoiced because that building was going to meet a great and pressing need in Kowloon. 

Everyone who attended at the Rosary Church on Sundays or feast days would readily agree with him that the new Church which would afford sitting accommodation for 1,700 would go a long way to meet the need of the ever growing Catholic population of Kowloon. 

A Worthy Homage. 

That Church, his Lordship said, was a worthy homage to St. Theresa of the Child Jesus, the Little Flower. 

Personally, he said, he was greatly indebted to St. Theresa. When he was made Bishop, he was sent a relic of the Saint and ever since then St. Theresa had become the Patroness of this Mission. 

At Hoifung, during the Communist troubles, many villages were sacked, over 200 persons killed, and Churches and Convents pillaged and burned. His Lordship was in one Catholic village which numbered about 500 strong. When the Communists came, it was a question of deciding either to go or to resist. The latter course was a hopeless one, so they evacuated. 

Before leaving, the Bishop put a picture of St. Theresa in the foundation of the Church, and right through the Communist reign of terror in Hoifung, that Church and that village remained unharmed and not a single villager was killed. 

More Help Wanted. 

He acknowledged donations made towards the expenses of building that Church, and he would ask St. Theresa to bless the donors a thousandfold, even in this life. But although he was indebted to the donor, he must remind the gathering that the work of propagating the faith was as much a part of the duty of every Catholic as the duty of the Clergy. Therefore he was expecting much more from them. 

No Hong Kong Portuguese Priest. 

The Bishop also said that during his 25 years’ work on this Mission not a single Hong Kong born Portuguese boy had become a priest, although they had the advantage of being used to the climate. He wanted to see a Hong Kong born Portuguese boy become a priest. 

The Building. 

The new Church, which is being built in the centre of an area of about 30,000 square feet, is bounded by Prince Edward Road, Waterloo Road and Boundary Street. The edifice is of distinctive design, the architect being the Rev. Fr. Gresnit of the Benedictine Order, who is on the staff of the Catholic University at Peiping. The feature of the Church will be the Roman Altar which will be erected in the centre and there will be four small chapels at the sides, with pews all round the main altar. There is also a spacious choir space.  

Source: Hong Kong Daily Press, page 7, 25th April 1932

https://mmis.hkpl.gov.hk/coverpage/-/coverpage/view?_coverpage_WAR_mmisp...