History of SVD in Hongkong
The First Fifty Years
| 1841 April 22nd | — | The Catholic Church in Hong Kong was officially established just three months after the Colony was founded. |
| 1875 September 8th | — | Foundation of the Society of the Divine Word in Steyl, Holland. |
| 1879 April 20th | — | Frs. Joseph Freinademetz and John Baptist Anzer arrived in Hong Kong to begin their China Mission. |
| 1880 April | — | Fr. Anzer left Hong Kong for Shantung to oversee the opening the mission in Southern Shantung. |
| 1881 May 23rd | — | Fr. Freinademetz left Hong Kong to join Fr. Anzer in the new mission in Shantong. |
| 1938 November 9th | — | Fr. Emile Jerome, an SVD missionary to New Guinea died while on transit in Hong Kong. He was buried in St. Michael's Catholic Cemetry, Happy Valley. |
| 1948 July 9th | — | Fr. Joseph Henkels SVD arrived in Hong Kong to help in the foundation of an Industrial School upon the request of Bishop Valtora. From this time on the SVD's stayed in the Catholic Mission at 16 Caine Road. |
| 1948 September 28th | — | Fr. Peter Heier SVD arrived in Hong Kong from Sinyang, Honan to help in the school project. |
| 1949 March 15th | — | Bro. Berchmans Bruckner SVD arrived from Shanghai also to help in the school project. |
| 1951 February 9th | — | Fr. Bartley Schmitz SVD arrived from Shanghai. He was later asked to replace Fr. Joe Henkels in the school project. |
| 1951 August | — | SVD Fathers moved to a new location at No. 81 Sing Woo Road, Happy Valley. They shared the house with the Belgian Fathers (CICM). |
| 1951 September 28th | — | Fr. Peter Holzer SVD, another missionary expelled from China and on transit in Hong Kong, died at St. Paul's Hospital. |
| 1952 January 25th | — | Negotiations for the Industrial School Project finally collapsed. |
| 1953 July 24th | — | The SVD Shanghai Procure was confiscated and occupied by the Red Army. Most of the missionaries had already left but a few who remained were arrested. |
| 1953 October 9th | — | SVD residence and procure moved to a new rented house at No. 10 Tung Shan Terrace, Stubbs Road. |
| 1955 April 20th | — | Fr. Henry Streithorst SVD assumed the post as procurator of the SVD Hong Kong Procure for the China Mission as well as for other Asian SVD missions. |
| 1961 December 21st | — | Bishop Bianchi gave his blessing for the Canonical Erection of the SVD in the Hong Kong Diocese. |
| 1962 February 9th | — | Propaganda Fide officially approved the Canonical Erection of the SVD in Hong Kong. |
| 1965 September | — | Fr. Partick Canavan SVD arrived in Hong Kong with the mission to open a government subsidized SVD sponsored secondary school. |
| 1966 January 27th | — | Inauguration of the new and first SVD house at No. 110A Boundary Street 9F, Kowloon. |
| 1968 September 25th | — | The Divine Word Missionaries are officially incorporated in Hong Kong by Governor David Trench under the title "Incorporated Trustees of the Divine Word Missionaries". |
| 1971 April 21st | — | Fr. Henry Streithorst died. Later that year, Fr. Bernard Schlueter arried and became procurator. |
| 1971 September | — | Inauguration of the Sing Yin Seconday School in Lam Tin, Kowloon under the supervision of Fr. Patrick Canavan SVD. |
| 1971-1974 | — | Fr. Justin Wong SVD serves as teacher in Sing Yin Secondary School |
| 1976-1980 | — | Fr. Michael Lally SVD from Ireland serves as teacher in Sing Yin Secondary School |
| 1981 August | — | Fr. Patrick O'Regan SVD arrives from Ireland to take up a teaching position in Sing Yin Secondary School. |
| 1982 | — | Fr. Ernst Boehm SVD arrived in Hong Kong. |
| 1983 August 30th | — | Fr. Brian Lawless SVD arrives in Hong Kong and registers at the Chinese University for a two year course in Cantonese. |
| 1984 | — | The SVD community in Hong Kong was made into a sepatate SVD administratice district that included also the confreres in Mainland China. Fr. Ernst Boehm became the first District Superior. |
| 1984 September 9th | — | Fr. Helmuth Peter SVD was transferred from the Philippines to Hong Kong to replace the retiring Fr. Schluter as procurator. |
| 1986 | — | Blessing of SVD OTP and formation house at 17 Chap Wai Kon New Village, Sha Tin, with Fr. Brian Lawless as the first OTP director. |
| 1993 August 28th | — | Death of Fr. Ernst Boehm. |
| 1994 April 10th | — | The SVD took over the pastoral care of Holy Family Parish in Choi Hung Estate. Fr. Patrick Joel Davadilla SVD was District Superior and Coordinator of the Pastoral Team. Later that year the Pastoral Team also took responsibility for the nearby St. Francis Xavier Parish in Choi Wan Estate. |
| 1995 | — | The SVD took over the pastoral care of St. Edward's Parish, Lam Tin, with Fr. Brian Lawless as Parish Priest. |
| 1996 September 4th | — | Fr. Paddy O'Regan Died at St. Theresa's Hospital and was buried in St. Michael's Cemetry, Happy Valley. |
| 1997 July 1st | — | Hong Kong reverts to China |
| 1998 October 19th | — | The 50th anniversary of the SVD presence in Hong Kong and the 23rd anniversary of the beatification of Blessed Arnold Janssen and Joseph Freinademetz of Shantung. |
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