Adolph John Paschang
Encyclopedia
Bishop Adolph John Paschang was an American Maryknoll Catholic priest
, missionary
, relief worker and educator working in southern part of China
in the early 20th century.
, Audrain County, Missouri
. He grew up on a farm there, studied at Campion College of the Sacred Heart (1916) (now Campion High School
) then at Kenrick Seminary in St. Louis. He joined the newly founded Catholic Foreign Mission Society of America, commonly known as the Maryknoll
Fathers and Brothers, and was ordained a priest on 21 May 1921. After being ordained a priest, Paschang was immediately sent off to Kongmoon (now known as Jiangmen) China.
, Maoming
, the second school ever founded by the Maryknollers in China, by Fr Bernard F. Meyer with inauguration held on 5 Oct 1923. and first graduation on 1926 Aug 30 ), Yangjiang (previously known as Yeungkong), Jiaying (previously known as Kaying) Taishan (previously known as Toishan) and Jiangmen. He was appointed Vicar Apostolic of Kongmoon on 17 June 1937 (consecrated Bishop on 30 Nov 1937)), and later appointed Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Jiangmen (previously known as Kongmoon) on 11 April 1946, lived through the Japanese Invasion and Occupation of China in the Second World War.
of 1941, Paschang and his diocese was not too heavily disturbed by the Japanese forces due to his American citizenship.
In February 1941, Fr Paschang received a pass from the Japanese occupation forces to visit Hong Kong but his purpose for coming here was only to leapfrog to the unoccupied areas of his Diocese of Jiangmen to visit the priests and Sisters. While Paschang was in Hong Kong, Fr Joe Sweeney from the Gate of Heaven Leprosarium in Ngaimen arrived, describing the exciting trip he had just made: the motor launch carrying Fr Big Joe and other passengers was attacked by a Japanese patrol boat as evening was coming on, but escaped capture when darkness descended and the Japanese patrol boat lost them. Bishop Paschang would have to take the same route and the same risks on his return visitations. While Bishop Paschang was in Hong Kong, he performed the ordinations at the Dominican Rosary Hill chapel, in the absence of Bishop Enrico Valtorta
.
In May 1946, Bishop Paschang arrived at Stanley for a conference with more than a dozen Ordinaries of South China, including the four Ordinaries of Maryknoll. He arrived with a van dyke beard
– only his Episcopal rank saved him from the customary Stanley practice of removing beards by forces.
.
, Kowloon
in 1969, it was named Bishop Paschang Memorial School, which is now known as Bishop Paschang Catholic School
.
In the late 1990s, the Hong Kong SAR Government planned to re-develop the Lower Ngau Tau Kok Estate, where Bishop Paschang Memorial School was situated. In 1997, the headmaster at that time, Leung Kwok Hung, applied for a new school premises from the government and was given a new school building in a "school village" in Kowloon Bay
. AM section of Bishop Paschang Memorial School moved to the new campus in Kowloon Bay in 2002. The new school was named Bishop Paschang Catholic School
.
The school building of Bishop Paschang Memorial School was finally handed back to the government of Hong Kong
in 2008, in line with the plan of demolishing the then remaining portion of the Lower Ngau Tau Kok Estate. The remaining classes of the PM section of Bishop Paschang Memorial School were relocated to Bishop Paschang Catholic School
in Kowloon Bay as well.
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
, missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
, relief worker and educator working in southern part of China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
in the early 20th century.
Early life
Fr Adolph J. Paschang was born in MartinsburgMartinsburg, Missouri
Martinsburg is a city in Audrain County, Missouri, United States. The population was 326 at the 2000 census, at which time it was a town.-Geography:Martinsburg is located at ....
, Audrain County, Missouri
Audrain County, Missouri
Audrain County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. As of 2010, the population was 25,529. Its county seat is Mexico. The county was organized in 1836. Audrain County was named for Col. James Hunter Audrain. Col. Audrain was Colonel of militia in the War of 1812. In 1830 Col...
. He grew up on a farm there, studied at Campion College of the Sacred Heart (1916) (now Campion High School
Campion High School
Campion Jesuit High School was a Jesuit-run boarding school for boys in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin named for the Jesuit martyr Edmund Campion. The school operated from its founding in 1880 until closing in 1975, and educated several notable figures during its existence. The former school's campus...
) then at Kenrick Seminary in St. Louis. He joined the newly founded Catholic Foreign Mission Society of America, commonly known as the Maryknoll
Maryknoll
Maryknoll is a name shared by three organizations that are part of the Roman Catholic Church and whose joint focus is on the overseas mission activity of the Catholic Church in the United States...
Fathers and Brothers, and was ordained a priest on 21 May 1921. After being ordained a priest, Paschang was immediately sent off to Kongmoon (now known as Jiangmen) China.
Ministries
Fr Adolph J. Paschang preached and worked in southern China, covering Gaozhou, previously known as Kochow (Fr Paschang once worked in the Sacred Heart School in GaozhouGaozhou
Gaozhou : Kochow) is a county-level city of Maoming City, southwestern Guangdong province of Southern China. It has a population of 1.68 million as of 2008 and total area of 3276 km². The locals speak a variation of the Gaozhou dialect.-Administration:...
, Maoming
Maoming
Maoming is located in southwestern Guangdong province, People's Republic of China. Facing the South China Sea to the city's south, Maoming city neighbors Zhanjiang in the west and is from Guangzhou and from Zhanjiang. The Maoming Port is a Grade I port that handled 16.8 million tons of cargo in...
, the second school ever founded by the Maryknollers in China, by Fr Bernard F. Meyer with inauguration held on 5 Oct 1923. and first graduation on 1926 Aug 30 ), Yangjiang (previously known as Yeungkong), Jiaying (previously known as Kaying) Taishan (previously known as Toishan) and Jiangmen. He was appointed Vicar Apostolic of Kongmoon on 17 June 1937 (consecrated Bishop on 30 Nov 1937)), and later appointed Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Jiangmen (previously known as Kongmoon) on 11 April 1946, lived through the Japanese Invasion and Occupation of China in the Second World War.
Second World War
Japan invaded China in phases in the 1930s, gradually taking southern China towards the end of he decade. Until the attack on Pearl HarborAttack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
of 1941, Paschang and his diocese was not too heavily disturbed by the Japanese forces due to his American citizenship.
In February 1941, Fr Paschang received a pass from the Japanese occupation forces to visit Hong Kong but his purpose for coming here was only to leapfrog to the unoccupied areas of his Diocese of Jiangmen to visit the priests and Sisters. While Paschang was in Hong Kong, Fr Joe Sweeney from the Gate of Heaven Leprosarium in Ngaimen arrived, describing the exciting trip he had just made: the motor launch carrying Fr Big Joe and other passengers was attacked by a Japanese patrol boat as evening was coming on, but escaped capture when darkness descended and the Japanese patrol boat lost them. Bishop Paschang would have to take the same route and the same risks on his return visitations. While Bishop Paschang was in Hong Kong, he performed the ordinations at the Dominican Rosary Hill chapel, in the absence of Bishop Enrico Valtorta
Enrico Valtorta
Enrico Pascal Valtorta was the last Apostolic Vicar and the first Roman Catholic bishop of Hong Kong. He was born in Italy at Carate Brianza, and was ordained priest on 30 March 1907 for the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions...
.
In May 1946, Bishop Paschang arrived at Stanley for a conference with more than a dozen Ordinaries of South China, including the four Ordinaries of Maryknoll. He arrived with a van dyke beard
Van dyke beard
A Van Dyke is a style of facial hair named after 17th century Flemish painter Anthony van Dyck. A Van Dyke specifically consists of any growth of both a moustache and goatee with all hair on the cheeks shaven...
– only his Episcopal rank saved him from the customary Stanley practice of removing beards by forces.
Early years of Communist Rule
After liberation of Mainland China he chose to stay behind. He was captured by the Chinese Communist authoritiesCommunist Party of China
The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...
.
- On 5 Dec 1951 Paschang was forced to contact with the Stanley HouseStanley HouseStanley House may refer to:* Stanley-Whitman House, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Farmington, Connecticut* Stanley-Woodruff-Allen House, listed on the NRHP in West Hartford, Connecticut* Leonard W...
in Hong Kong three times to relate that the Red Chinese were demanding US$22,000, - On 7 Dec 1951, the ransom became US$6,000, but nothing was paid.
- On 19 Dec 1952, similar news was reported in the New York Times, “Dec. 18 An official Roman Catholic spokesman said today that a 56-year-old Bishop, the Most Rev. Adolph Paschang of Kongmoon (now called Jiangmen), Kwangtung Province (now named Guangdong Province), had been beaten again there following the church's refusal to pay "ransom money" to the Chinese Communists as a means of saving him from the violence of the intensified "land reform" in that southeastern coastal province.”. *Bishop Paschang was subsequently severely tortured and broken as a person.
Release by the Communist into Hong Kong
Fr. William Downs in his Maryknoll Hong Kong Chronicle recorded on 9 June 1952, “Bishop Paschang, after very badly treated”, “was finally expelled from China”. Bishop Paschang was marched “from his mission at Pakkai” (now called Beijie, where the Immaculate Heart of Mary Cathedral, i.e. cathedral of the Diocese of Jiangmen, was located), “placed him on a junk and sailed off – he did not know his destination and the thought of Father Sandy Cairns’ unhappy ending at the hands of the Japanese must have crossed his mind".- On 6 June 1952 Friday night, Paschang crossed the Chinese border into Portuguese Macao,
- On 9 June 1952 Mondayand finally reached Hong Kong. Lots of reporters were waiting anxiously for him at the Hong Kong Pier. Upon arrival, Bishop Adolph Paschang recalled that he had been made to kneel on broken bricks in the winter of 1951, in a third-degree procedure, but he had no hatred at all. After a long interview, Fr Paschang could finally return to the Stanley House for a very late dinner.
Later life
After being expelled by the Communist Chinese government, Bishop Paschang stayed in the Maryknoll Stanley House, headquarters of the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers in Hong Kong, visited the States briefly but again returned to Hong Kong for his love of the Chinese people.- In March 1957, Fr Paschang suffered a severe cerebral thrombosis, had to be taken to hospital, and was no longer able to walk. The Canossian Sisters’ St. Francis Hospital in Wanchai became his home for the best part of a year.
- In Oct 1957, Fr Paschang insisted to leave hospital and returned to the Maryknoll Stanley House to meet the visiting Superior General, Father John Comber. A storeroom on the ground floor next to the kitchen was transformed into a “suite” for him. He was in the tender, if non-professional, care of faithful houseboy Ah Fung.
- In May 1958, Fr Paschang finally had to use a wheelchair. Amidst all the mishap, Fr Paschang still attended masses regularly and helped in church services as far as his ailing body could.
- On 3 February 1968, Paschang died in St. Paul’s Hospital in Causeway BayCauseway BayCauseway Bay is a heavily built-up area of Hong Kong, People's Republic of China, located on the Hong Kong Island, and covering parts of Wan Chai and Eastern districts. The Chinese name is also romanized as Tung Lo Wan as in Tung Lo Wan Road...
, Hong KongHong KongHong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
.
Memorial
In memory of Paschang, when a new primary school was founded by the Maryknollers in Ngau Tau KokNgau Tau Kok
Ngau Tau Kok is an area of Kowloon, Hong Kong, located at the northern part of Kwun Tong District, next to Kowloon Bay. It covers Jordan Valley, Ngau Tau Kok and Upper Kwun Tong town centre. The population of Ngau Tau Kok exceeds 210,000...
, Kowloon
Kowloon
Kowloon is an urban area in Hong Kong comprising the Kowloon Peninsula and New Kowloon. It is bordered by the Lei Yue Mun strait in the east, Mei Foo Sun Chuen and Stonecutter's Island in the west, Tate's Cairn and Lion Rock in the north, and Victoria Harbour in the south. It had a population of...
in 1969, it was named Bishop Paschang Memorial School, which is now known as Bishop Paschang Catholic School
Bishop Paschang Catholic School
Bishop Paschang Catholic School is a government aided whole day Roman Catholic coeducational primary school located in Kowloon Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong. It was founded by the Maryknoll Fathers in 1969...
.
In the late 1990s, the Hong Kong SAR Government planned to re-develop the Lower Ngau Tau Kok Estate, where Bishop Paschang Memorial School was situated. In 1997, the headmaster at that time, Leung Kwok Hung, applied for a new school premises from the government and was given a new school building in a "school village" in Kowloon Bay
Kowloon Bay
Kowloon Bay is a bay located at the east of the Kowloon Peninsula and north of Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. It is the eastern portion of Victoria Harbour, between Hung Hom and Lei Yue Mun...
. AM section of Bishop Paschang Memorial School moved to the new campus in Kowloon Bay in 2002. The new school was named Bishop Paschang Catholic School
Bishop Paschang Catholic School
Bishop Paschang Catholic School is a government aided whole day Roman Catholic coeducational primary school located in Kowloon Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong. It was founded by the Maryknoll Fathers in 1969...
.
The school building of Bishop Paschang Memorial School was finally handed back to the government of Hong Kong
Government of Hong Kong
The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, commonly the Hong Kong Government, is led by the Chief Executive as Head of the Government, who is also the head of the Hong Kong SAR...
in 2008, in line with the plan of demolishing the then remaining portion of the Lower Ngau Tau Kok Estate. The remaining classes of the PM section of Bishop Paschang Memorial School were relocated to Bishop Paschang Catholic School
Bishop Paschang Catholic School
Bishop Paschang Catholic School is a government aided whole day Roman Catholic coeducational primary school located in Kowloon Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong. It was founded by the Maryknoll Fathers in 1969...
in Kowloon Bay as well.
See also
- MaryknollMaryknollMaryknoll is a name shared by three organizations that are part of the Roman Catholic Church and whose joint focus is on the overseas mission activity of the Catholic Church in the United States...
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Jiangmen
- Bishop Paschang Catholic SchoolBishop Paschang Catholic SchoolBishop Paschang Catholic School is a government aided whole day Roman Catholic coeducational primary school located in Kowloon Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong. It was founded by the Maryknoll Fathers in 1969...
External links
- UCA news
- Fr. Paschang with Latin students at Yangjiang, China, 1924 from USC digital library Website
- Children enjoying firecrackers at Jiangmen, China, 1947 from USC digital library Website
- Maryknoll priests at Dongzhen, China, 1922 from USC digital library Website
- Sacred Heart Hospital staff, Toishan, China, ca. 1949 from USC digital library Website
- Maryknoll Priests and Sisters at Hong Kong, China, ca. 1925 from USC digital library Website
- Bp. Fourquet at installation of Fr. Paschang at Jiangmen, China from USC digital library Website
- Bishop Paschang Catholic School official website