From 1920 to 1970, Father Vircondelet of the Paris Foreign Missions (MEP) has seen Hong Kong evolve and deal with mixed fortunes at the option of a troubled history. His life in service of the Missions is also a life hong kongaise where the priesthood is confused with a passion for flawless British colony.
Vircondelet Leon was born in 1890 in Vesoul. At 18, he entered the seminary of Foreign Missions, but the Great War delayed its ordination. He was mobilized and was awarded the management of a hospital in the Vosges. In 1919, as lieutenant he resumed his place at the seminar. He is then ordained and sent immediately to Canton. The adventure begins Asia: a long journey east of fifty years, with Hong Kong as a point of attachment.
soon spotted for his many qualities of manager, was appointed missionary in the British colony in 1921 as an assistant prosecutor. It is a discreet but effective administrator. He began including at that time, to build a Chinese school and a hospital (St. Teresa) at the site of a large cotton mill bought by Father Robert.
In 1934, his temporary during a holiday in the procurement office in Saigon. He shows the extent of its capabilities, and a year later he was appointed Attorney General in the Far East. Leon Vircondelet is both the last Attorney General of Hong Kong MEP, from 1935, and the first Treasurer General, from 1950, the Foreign Missions reorganizing itself after the war about new features.
Formed by Father Robert (the excellent Financial who has done so grow the assets of Hong Kong MEP), Father Vircondelet manages address all matters of money until 1960. Not without difficulty, because the period is much more difficult. Japanese occupation, the rise of communism, a context of insecurity and instability ... so is he who arranges the sale of many properties in Hong Kong government, particularly the Procure in 1953 (now the Court of Final Appeal) and Nazareth in 1954. Choices certainly criticism today, but the context of the period explains.
is especially during the Second World War and the period the Japanese occupation, the Father Vircondelet illustrated. Always reactive, man committed early in favor of Free France without taking up arms. Exchanges between the Embassy of France in Beijing and the general government of Indochina are clear about this, and show that the Japanese complain of "active compromise of several French notables in the direction of the Anglo-Gaullist propaganda Hong Kong. " Father Vircondelet tops the list. The missionary
manages to safeguard the interests of religious, prevents looting (including printing of Nazareth) and helps many French. It seems that it is he who gets certain assets or records of individuals and companies (that is attested for the League of collieries of Tonkin and the Consulate of France). He maintains close friendships with Louis Reynaud, Consul General . A diplomat's death in 1943, Father Vircondelet install even in the consular premises so as to protect them from looting and to perpetuate a symbolic presence.
Many downtown buildings managed by the Missions were destroyed or damaged during the hostilities. The priest began in 1945 to renovate and modernize them. It then organizes celebrations for the centenary noticed the presence of Sisters of St. Paul in 1948. The same year he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Legion of Honor, for all its actions during the war.
Tired, he resigned in 1960. The Superior General Maurice Quéguiner expresses then, "on behalf of the entire company and on my behalf, the deep and loving appreciation of all, for all services rendered during a lifetime of missionary and singularly as General Treasurer for twenty-five years, with dedication and unfailing generosity. " It
again and again in Hong Kong that the Father Vircondelet chooses to spend an active retirement. There are still ten years. The priest left the British colony in 1970, after fifty years of presence. He retired to a sanatorium Montbeton in France, where he died in November 1973.
soon spotted for his many qualities of manager, was appointed missionary in the British colony in 1921 as an assistant prosecutor. It is a discreet but effective administrator. He began including at that time, to build a Chinese school and a hospital (St. Teresa) at the site of a large cotton mill bought by Father Robert. In 1934, his temporary during a holiday in the procurement office in Saigon. He shows the extent of its capabilities, and a year later he was appointed Attorney General in the Far East. Leon Vircondelet is both the last Attorney General of Hong Kong MEP, from 1935, and the first Treasurer General, from 1950, the Foreign Missions reorganizing itself after the war about new features.
Formed by Father Robert (the excellent Financial who has done so grow the assets of Hong Kong MEP), Father Vircondelet manages address all matters of money until 1960. Not without difficulty, because the period is much more difficult. Japanese occupation, the rise of communism, a context of insecurity and instability ... so is he who arranges the sale of many properties in Hong Kong government, particularly the Procure in 1953 (now the Court of Final Appeal) and Nazareth in 1954. Choices certainly criticism today, but the context of the period explains.
is especially during the Second World War and the period the Japanese occupation, the Father Vircondelet illustrated. Always reactive, man committed early in favor of Free France without taking up arms. Exchanges between the Embassy of France in Beijing and the general government of Indochina are clear about this, and show that the Japanese complain of "active compromise of several French notables in the direction of the Anglo-Gaullist propaganda Hong Kong. " Father Vircondelet tops the list. The missionary
manages to safeguard the interests of religious, prevents looting (including printing of Nazareth) and helps many French. It seems that it is he who gets certain assets or records of individuals and companies (that is attested for the League of collieries of Tonkin and the Consulate of France). He maintains close friendships with Louis Reynaud, Consul General . A diplomat's death in 1943, Father Vircondelet install even in the consular premises so as to protect them from looting and to perpetuate a symbolic presence.
Many downtown buildings managed by the Missions were destroyed or damaged during the hostilities. The priest began in 1945 to renovate and modernize them. It then organizes celebrations for the centenary noticed the presence of Sisters of St. Paul in 1948. The same year he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Legion of Honor, for all its actions during the war.
Tired, he resigned in 1960. The Superior General Maurice Quéguiner expresses then, "on behalf of the entire company and on my behalf, the deep and loving appreciation of all, for all services rendered during a lifetime of missionary and singularly as General Treasurer for twenty-five years, with dedication and unfailing generosity. " It
again and again in Hong Kong that the Father Vircondelet chooses to spend an active retirement. There are still ten years. The priest left the British colony in 1970, after fifty years of presence. He retired to a sanatorium Montbeton in France, where he died in November 1973.
FD.
Sources: Archives of the Paris Foreign Missions, Records of the Department of Foreign Affairs of Nantes. Photo credit: Archives of Foreign Missions of Paris.
0 comments:
Post a Comment