In the end there were just three Columban Sisters left in Hong Kong, three to say goodbye to a much loved mission, three to share the blessings in that final farewell on behalf of all who had ever been there on mission. Sisters Mary Anthony Ryan, Isobel Loughrey and myself, Patricia Byrne, shared the reflections and the graces of those final days.
“Why are you leaving?” We faced the question over and again from our friends, former patients, colleagues, co-workers. Not an easy question to answer. We have been praying and discerning over the years and have come to understand that a difficult decision was called for as there were no younger sisters to replace those who had left the mission. So we began to see that the time would come when we would have to leave, a difficult thing to do, as Hong Kong has been a special mission in the life of the Congregation since the first Sisters arrived in 1948 and began work at Ruttonjee Sanatorium in the following year.
The three of us now in Hong Kong have been here for approximately 40 years. We have seen great changes and development during these decades. The local Church is vibrant and youthful, and growing all the time. The Hong Kong people too are now missionaries in the local community and overseas. New foreign missionaries are coming to Hong Kong as well. We are aware that while we must leave this particular mission, the Spirit is inviting our younger members to embrace mission in places of perhaps greater need, such as Myanmar and Pakistan.
We don’t leave a mission lightly; neither do we hold on tightly. Having lived and worked with the people of Hong Kong for so many years, our uppermost feeling is one of sadness and loss. We have received so much from the people here. They have shared the riches of their culture, the warmth of their welcome and the loyalty of their friendship. People ask us what will we miss most - maybe the wonderful food, the lively city, or the beauty of the culture?
Our answer is always the same - we will miss the people we have been privileged to work alongside. We have been enriched in our varied work in the Catholic community, in spiritual outreach to our Protestant brothers and sisters, as well as in opportunities to meet with members of the Buddhist community. We have been blessed by those on the margins of our society - the poor, the imprisoned, the demeaned, the marginalised and the ostracised. As we say goodbye, we marvel at the generous outpouring of love from former colleagues, friends and collaborators. It is all a bit overwhelming and, at the same time, we feel great gratitude and affirmation, which gives us the strength we need to board that plane, which will take us away from the place we have come to call home and the people we have come to love so much.
As a Congregation, we are called to mission to the poor and to those who have not yet received the Gospel message. Hong Kong has been a place in which this call to mission could be realised. We leave knowing that the charism which we brought will continue to burn brightly in this precious Pearl of the Orient.
Columban Sr Patricia Byrne from County Wicklow, Ireland, has been assigned to Hong Kong since 1976.
Read more from The Far East, May 2016