FRSP Faculty Day 2021
FRSP Faculty Day 2021
13
Dec
13/12/2021
The FRSP held its traditional Faculty Day on December 3rd, 2021 in honor of St. Francis Xavier SJ, the patron of mission in Asia and the Faculty.
The Faculty of Religious Studies and Philosophy (FRSP) assembled to its traditional Faculty Day on the 3rd of December 2021, in honour of St. Francis Xavier SJ, patron of the mission in Asia and the Faculty.
The Faculty community was welcomed at the Parish of Saint Anthony (聖安多尼堂) by parish priest Fr. Peter Lee In Ho, BMC (李仁皡神父) and staff. The Undergraduate Student Assembly gathered at the Parish Centre and elected the new student representatives. After a short break, the Mass on the Feast of St. Francis Xavier was celebrated by Dean Franz Gassner.
After a fellowship meal at the parish plaza, the Dean took students and staff on a tour inside Camões Garden, first to the grove of Portuguese Poet Luís de Camões (1524-1580), and then to the Memorial of St. Andrew Kim Tawgon (金大建 神父, 1821-1846), who studied Catholic Theology from 1839-1845 in Macau, and is the first Korean-born catholic priest and patron saint of Korean clergy. After a short prayer, all continued to enjoy the sunny day in the gorgeous Garden.
At 2 pm, the FRSP Community headed to Casa Garden for the pre-event talk of the 10th Macau Literary Festival on the topics: “Introduction to Robert Morrison’s Mission and the Protestant Presence in Macao” (Rev’d. Prof. Stephen Morgan, Rector USJ), and, “The Challenges of translating the Bible into Chinese,” (Prof. Andrew Leong, FRSP, USJ).
This year marks the 200th anniversary of the erection of the Protestant Cemetery of Macau, in which Robert Morrison (1782-1834) buried his first wife, Mary Morrison and their child in 1821. Rector Morgan led an inspirational historical tour into the Cemetery and Morrison Chapel. Robert Morrison published the six-volume A Dictionary of the Chinese Language (1815-1822), and in 1823, together with William Milne and his team, Morrison finished a complete Chinese translation of the Bible. Morrison also founded the Anglo Chinese College at Malacca in 1818, together with William Milne. Being the first Protestant missionary in China, Robert Morrison is called the “Father of Protestant Missions in China.”
The Faculty Community expresses deep gratitude for the support from OSAA, the Parish of St. Anthony, the Dominican Brother and Sister Communities, Rector Morgan and Prof. Leong, and especially to the outgoing FRSP Student Council members for their ministry and excellent organisation of the Faculty Day 2021.
