Dear Members of the WYK65 Class:
久違了, 你們好 ! I have not written directly into this forum for a very long time (other than recently in a few incidental cc's).
This evening, I am sadden to have to share with you the following sad news which I just found out a few minutes ago, about the passing of Fr. James Hurley.
Fr. Hurley never taught me in class between 1959 to 1965 - anyone of you ever taught by him during our time?
I remember I had a brief chat with him on a Saturday afternoon in the summer of Form 4/5 while we were having our regular scout meeting. I was planning with a few junior scouts about their "second class badge" 8-miles journey...... with maps laid out on a table in the hallway outside the teachers' room. He walked by, saw us, came close to say hello, dressed in his clerical white suite; looked like he just returned from outside, on his way back up to the quarters upstairs. He was very friendly, with a big smile....., none of the "seriousness" of Fr. Farren or Fr. Chan. He asked: "Who is the leader?" I raised my hand "I am...." (I was the Scout Instructor for Junior B at the time - got demoted from the Senior Troop.... because Junior B needed a "yellow broom"). He asked me a few questions about what we were doing.....; said something like "excellent activity....". That was it.
I didn't really get to know him until after I left WYK. While I was at HK Baptist College taking my first year biology - waiting for my student visa to go to the States, my original intended destination where I had an uncle in San Francisco, I joined the Hong Kong Federation of Post-Secondary Catholic Students (where I met Linda my wife). Fr. Hurley was the Federation's Spiritual Director. Whereas the Federation, a large student body, only met may be once a month.... or longer, both Linda and I joined its Social Services Group, with about 12 to 15 members; we met once a week at WYK - with Fr. Hurley as our advisor and Spiritual Director. That's where I got to know him a lot better. Our Chair-lady was a senior Social Work student from HKU, an able and fine looking leader. Like many Jesuit's (their style), Fr. Hurley never interfered with our plans, just gave advice when asked, and tips to do things (like where to request funds for our projects). He's a true gentleman, ever so soft spoken with a smile, and spoke perfect Cantonese.
Incidentally, I might have mentioned this before: Tony 吳鍚基, also a fellow scout (who passed away from leukemia many years ago in Vancouver) also attended HK Baptist College at the time, though we never met in school. We reconciled that fact years later when I accidentally found him in several of my collection of group photos taken at an orphanage in 粉嶺 at the end of a visit (organized by the Social Services Group in which I was the scribe or secretary) by the Fed. of Post-secondary Catholic Students of which he must have been a member -- small world !
In any case, here are a few links I found on Fr. Hurley. God be with him!
熱心香港社運 晚年居愛爾蘭
余理謙神父疑染武肺辭世
更新時間 (HKT): 2020.04.15 02:20
余理謙神父生前貢獻良多，熱心社運及關心弱勢人士權益。<br />耶穌會中華省網頁圖片
【肺炎大爆發】 【本報訊】服務香港逾半世紀的耶穌會神父余理謙在香港時間昨日凌晨3時許在愛爾蘭逝世，有傳死於武漢肺炎，享年93歲。20年代於愛爾蘭出生的余神父50年代首次來港，曾任教九龍華仁書院、珠海書院，長期熱心社運，在六七暴動、反殖運動和保釣等均見其身影，又曾公開提示基督徒有責任面對六四。宗教界及社運界人士均感不捨，形容余生前貢獻良多，追求公義，熱愛年輕人。 記者︰曾偉龍
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRSNjihE18s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiq_VNwp3gw
According to one of the reports, God used the corona virus to bring him back.
I remember reading when Fr. Farren left, Fr. Hurley said Fr. Farren's last words were "....James, I think I am going....". They stayed at the same retirement facility. After their life-long work and dedication to the Wah Yans, they deserve their everlasting peace, rest, and joy.
Peace, and keep safe everyone!
Vincent