[ { "id": 208633, "series_id": 26, "series_slug": "histsyn-rashkb-journal-engine", "series_title": "RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊", "series_use_hku_proxy": false, "document_key": "RAS-1979", "page_number": 90, "title": "RAS-1979", "content_text": "THE MARYKNOLL MISSION, HONG KONG 1941-46\n\n63\n\nblankets and other small things. But what a sight met our eyes! The general scene was almost indescribable! Some of the rooms and especially the toilets were filthy. In the corridors, the portable altars still stood with their appurtenances as we left them Christmas morning. Strangely enough, the chalices were for the most part untouched; the vestments and altar cloths were intact but in many instances trailing or lying on the floor. And the floors of the corridors were literally filled with all sorts of things, papers, books, empty tin cans and bottles, broken boxes and what not. The rooms were in a similar state. Bureau and wardrobe drawers were pulled out, their contents scattered on the floor, and papers and books and all our minor possessions which the Japanese did not want were everywhere. One wondered where it all came from. In many cases the beds were missing or at least the mattresses. These we later found arranged in rows on the floors of the larger rooms, where the soldiers had evidently slept. The panels of most of the doors had been broken into and shattered strips lay on the floor.\n\nThe office was also a mess. This had been used for a dining room but, despite this fact, the floor was covered as the rest of the house was, with papers, files and everything imaginable. The safe had been broken open and what money we had, taken. Before the crash came we had placed the Blessed Sacrament in this safe, but very providentially before the Japanese got to it, the Chinese seminarian who had come with the Salesians opened the safe and consumed it.\n\nThe chapel upstairs was wholly unmolested, the Japanese seeming to have great respect for shrines, and later on a Japanese officer bowed as he passed our Chapel door. Report has it that one of the British officers was found hiding behind a statue in the Chapel! Poor fellow!\n\nWe noticed red splotches here and there on the floor and walls, but we surmised that these were for the most part caused by the breaking of innocent catsup bottles, though where the wounded soldiers lay, there were of course real blood stains. At the first opportunity, we tried to find our cassocks and breviaries. Most of these eventually turned up, but cassocks needed a washing before being able to be worn.\n\nObviously our food storeroom was the first object of attack by the famished Japanese, and there wasn't much left when we return-\n\nPage 90\n\nPage 91", "txt_file_path": "txt/dfo323lmgvd/RAS-1979.txt", "external_url": "https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/2801w5938", "rank": 0 }, { "id": 208649, "series_id": 26, "series_slug": "histsyn-rashkb-journal-engine", "series_title": "RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊", "series_use_hku_proxy": false, "document_key": "RAS-1979", "page_number": 106, "title": "RAS-1979", "content_text": "THE MARYKNOLL MISSION, HONG KONG 1941-46\n\n79\n\n8-Sunday Masses, as usual, with Fathers Keelan, Bauer and Charles Murphy officiating. It rained in the afternoon, but a fair crowd attended Rosary, Litany and private Benediction at St. Stephen's Great Hall; Bishop O'Gara spoke. Seventy Communions in the morning at Masses. An attempt is to be made to start some sort of school tomorrow for the children, but with the lack of desks, chairs and books, not much can be done. The Sisters also plan a catechism class. So far, we have five Maryknoll Sisters in Camp, as also nine Canadian Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, but at five this afternoon during a drizzle, some 18 more Maryknoll Sisters, with Sister Paul at their head, arrived by truck, with bag and baggage as only Sisters know how to travel. As the American Blocks were pretty well filled up, temporary quarters were found for them in one of the British blocks. They find two or three rooms at their disposal, and the 18 promptly unroll their blankets and stretch out on the floor, for the night. The Portuguese and Chinese Sisters remain in Kowloon, but not in their own convent, which has long since been taken over by the Japanese military as a hospital. The Blessed Sacrament is reserved temporarily in the Maryknoll Sisters' apartment in the American block. Maryknoll again wins a softball match.\n\n9-Mr. Gullinan, former Hong Kong Police sergeant and a good friend of ours, goes to Tweed Bay Hospital for treatment. He had been in the Queen Mary Hospital for some months previous to the war. The American Community meets at 2.00 p.m. in the Club House Rooms and hear various reports read. The question of bank accounts in the Hong Kong banks came up and it seems the Japanese authorities have offered each one with a bank account the sum of $50.00 for his food. This offer was refused by the Americans. Our newly-built kitchen finally opened.\n\n10-The blackout is over and we again have electric lights in the evening. Today also there is a change in our meal hours. The first repast is 9.30, with a cup of soup at 12.30 and the second meal at 5.00 p.m. It has turned cold and rainy and our meager rations of rice and fixings leave us hungry. A robbery is reported in the Dutch quarters.\n\n11-Another attempt to open a canteen in the American Club, and each person is limited to the purchase of one article. As there wasn't very much, the supply was soon sold out. One could buy", "txt_file_path": "txt/dfo323lmgvd/RAS-1979.txt", "external_url": "https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/2801w5938", "rank": 0 }, { "id": 208652, "series_id": 26, "series_slug": "histsyn-rashkb-journal-engine", "series_title": "RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊", "series_use_hku_proxy": false, "document_key": "RAS-1979", "page_number": 109, "title": "RAS-1979", "content_text": "82 \n\nREVS. J. SMITH AND WM. DOWNS \n\ntake over the civil administration. News has seeped into the Camp that Bishop Paschang, with Fathers Paulhus, Jim Smith, North, together with Sisters Patricia Coughlin and Beatrice Meyer are in Macao, having been deported by the Japanese from Kongmoon. \n\n22-Sunday and, Washington's Birthday. Father Norris, C. P., the day's preacher. At one o'clock a party for children is arranged, but for Americans only. The Camp cook comes across with a cup of coffee, two doughnuts and some popcorn for all, adult Americans included. At three p.m. at St. Stephen's, Stations of the Cross and Benediction with a sermon by Bishop O'Gara. In the evening at 6, Fathers Quinn and Madison direct the songfest. Warmer weather. For some days now, Brother Thaddeus has had his eagle eye on two pigeons which have been roosting on our roof and tonight he manages to catch one with its eyes shut. As a result, the members of his room, No. 9 no less (the unlucky number in China), had a cup of pigeon soup apiece. Incidentally, there are seven in Room 9. \n\n23-The Maryknoll Sisters finally move from their temporary quarters to the American Block. Maryknollers help carry baggage, and to secure a few iron cots from the Hospital. The Sisters now have three rooms on the ground floor and one room on the third floor of Block A-3. \n\n24-As previously mentioned, the British Government had built in various parts of the island a considerable number of godowns or storage depots for rice, peanut oil and canned goods, in case of a long siege. A few of these godowns are very close to our Camp—in fact, they might be considered to be within our confines, and today the Japanese authorities asked for volunteers among the internees to help in loading these supplies on trucks to be moved elsewhere. From the Maryknollers, Fathers Gaiero and Siebert join up, as also Father O'Connor, C. M., and Brother Anthony, one of the two Christian Brothers living on our floor. After working several hours in the morning, each volunteer was given for his dinner, as much canned milk, hardtack and butter as he could eat, and when the day's work was over, each received four cans of goods, such as butter, milk and pork and beans. Ten cases of goods were also given to the Community kitchens. Brother Michael comes down with a form of diarrhea. \n\n25-The Blessed Sacrament is now reserved in the Sisters' Chapel. More volunteers asked for today for loading food; as the", "txt_file_path": "txt/dfo323lmgvd/RAS-1979.txt", "external_url": "https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/2801w5938", "rank": 0 }, { "id": 208684, "series_id": 26, "series_slug": "histsyn-rashkb-journal-engine", "series_title": "RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊", "series_use_hku_proxy": false, "document_key": "RAS-1979", "page_number": 141, "title": "RAS-1979", "content_text": "114 \n\nREVS. J. SMITH AND WM. DOWNS \n\n12-Sunday. Masses as usual, with Father Meyer preaching a course of sermons on the Mass. Another good tiffin with roast beef, sweet potato, spinach and NO rice for a change. Supper, rice pudding with raisins only. Either we feast or we fast these days. \n\n13—All Americans, except Maryknollers, are to report to “The Hill\" tomorrow morning at 10:00 a.m. The four Americans who have already signed up are still waiting for final word. \n\n14----The Americans called up were asked why they wanted to go to Hong Kong, and how they could support themselves. Were told that they would hear further from the Foreign Office. Father Murphy baptized an adult catechumen. \n\n15 Sister Henrietta Marie celebrates her feast day by giving us a piece of chocolate cake. We seem to be getting very few vegetables these days. The water spinach is wormy and getting tough and the chives—well, 'nuf said! And we are supposed to pay for all this FOOD after the war is won, for we get a monthly bill therefor. The rice, too, is beginning to get poor, being broken cargo rice and full of worms. (The Chinese would never think of eating this.) The British now have nothing but this poor rice, but we seem to have a limited supply of the good rice yet. The Camp seems very quiet these days and even our own quarters have quieted down considerably. We have much more satisfactory arrangements for Mass now, with two altars in our little chapel. The Blessed Sacrament is also reserved. Heavy rain continues. \n\n16-A wedding this morning at 8:00 in the Maryknoll Chapel, Father Murphy officiating. He also has another baptism in the afternoon. Mr. Dick Munsey, an American ex-seaman, dies in Tweed Bay Hospital, after a very short illness. Rain all day. \n\n17--Mr. Munsey buried at 10:00 a.m. He has a wife and family in Hong Kong. \n\n19-Sunday. Vacation religious classes begin. Catholic Action meeting after Benediction. Father Hessler is now chaplain to the Hospital, succeeding Father Toomey. At last swimming permission is granted. We are now allowed to go to Tweed Bay beach in groups, between 9 and 11 in the morning and from 2 to 5 in the afternoon. \n\n20-Delay on swimming. Rain continues.", "txt_file_path": "txt/dfo323lmgvd/RAS-1979.txt", "external_url": "https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/2801w5938", "rank": 0 }, { "id": 208717, "series_id": 26, "series_slug": "histsyn-rashkb-journal-engine", "series_title": "RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊", "series_use_hku_proxy": false, "document_key": "RAS-1979", "page_number": 174, "title": "RAS-1979", "content_text": "The Blessed Sacrament was reserved at Stanley House for the first time since the occupation. Our large wooden crucifix, which had been protected in Carmel during the occupation, was returned to its original site—we now have the most important Guest of all! Father Tennien sent a nice small harmonium from Shanghai to add another pleasant feature to the Chapel.\n\nOn June 5th, Father Wygerte, Scheut Procurator in Shanghai, and genial host to many Maryknollers, set some kind of record as he made his first visit to the Maryknoll Fathers in Hong Kong, traversing the hilly ten miles from the city to Stanley by ricksha! His eyesight is almost entirely lost and he is returning to Europe.\n\nBishop Valtorta and Father Meyer sailed today for San Francisco, the former for treatment and rest, the latter a Delegate to the 1946 General Chapter at Maryknoll. Ten minutes before the ship sailed, Father Meyer was still typing out his suggestions to the Colony for the proposed self-government of Hong Kong. The servicemen's restaurant and many other works he started in Hong Kong are evidence of his limitless zeal.\n\nA visit during the month of June to Kowloon gave a picture of the condition of our old Procure at 160 Austin Road, and of the former Maryknoll Sisters' Convent at 103 Austin Road. The Procure was badly in need of repair, and at the time was housing fifteen refugee families. The Convent escaped unscathed and the Government was conducting a bacteriological institute on the premises.\n\nSince the cessation of hostilities, ocean and air travel for civilians had been non-existent, but both army planes and naval vessels very kindly and generously transported many missioners back to their respective homelands.\n\nDue to the shortage of housing in the Colony, the Government began requisitioning many dwellings for this purpose. One day, a group of officials inspected our house with its 35 sleeping rooms and decided to take it over for some of their employees, who were soon to return to the Colony. However, upon returning to the city by way of Aberdeen, they saw the French Mission House at Bethany, much larger than Stanley House, and took possession of that instead, much to our relief.\n\nOn the departure of Father Meyer for the States, Father Brack arranged to take over his room in the King's Building, where the", "txt_file_path": "txt/dfo323lmgvd/RAS-1979.txt", "external_url": "https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/2801w5938", "rank": 0 } ]