The Province of Regina Martyrum – Hong Kong, is the first mission land of the Canossian Family, founded in 1860. It comprises of three regions – the Hong Kong Special Administration Region (Hong Kong SAR), the Macau Special Administration Region (Macau SAR) and Mainland China. At the threshold of its 160th Anniversary, Sisters in this Province are grateful to the Heavenly Father for His divine providence. At present, there are 85 Sisters in the Province with an average age of 73.3, embracing 6 different nationalities (Chinese, Indonesian, Italian, Portuguese, Malaysian and Singaporean). Sisters are living in 12 communities.
Despite the challenge of aging and decreased number of Sisters, we thank God for the gift of new vocations. At present, we have two postulants having their initial formation in the Philippines Province. Sisters are encouraged to participate in vocation programmes of the Diocese and to nurture vocations in the hearts of the students and lay partners whom God have entrusted to us in the 20 schools run by the Sisters.
Our Sisters are engaged in all the five ministries of the Institute, with the 1st Ministry of Education being the service where the largest manpower of Sisters resides. At present, we are running 20 schools in the Province – two schools in Macau in the through-train mode, one with secondary and primary sections and the other from kindergarten to secondary education; 6 secondary schools, 12 primary schools and 1 kindergarten in Hong Kong. The 2nd largest group of workforce lies in the Pastoral Care of the Sick, as we are still serving in our own Canossa Hospital in Hong Kong and running an Old Aged Home in Macau. One Sister is doing pastoral work in a government hospital. Though most of the Sisters are above the retirement age of 60, they continue to offer service in evangelization and pastoral care in parishes and personal contacts, Spiritual Exercises and in the Formation of Lay Canossians and lay collaborators. Our gratitude goes to our Elderly and Sick Sisters who have supported the Sisters’ active apostolate with their prayers, sufferings and life witnesses.
Like all religious congregations, the Province is faced with the challenge of ageing members, diminishing number and the modern evolution of society and cultures which are undergoing rapid changes. We need to re-define our service and to re-discover the meaning of our existence among people. This is definitely an important yet difficult task.
We admit that the call to “Make Jesus Known and Loved” has been more challenging in this era of complex social, religious and political situations with the global impact of China’s economic rise, the changing relationship between the Universal Church and the Church in China and the recent chaotic situations of Hong Kong. However, with renewed trust in God, the Lord of History, we pledge to face the future with hope and courage!
