Bulletin Vol. 8 No. 6 Jan 1972

Address by the Most Rev. Franz Hengsbach It gives me great pleasure to be here today representing the Catholic Community of Germany on this memorable occasion of the opening of one of the five buildings of United College, I would like on this occasion to congratulate The Chinese University of Hong Kong on its outstanding achievements in the field of higher education i n less than a decade and also to congratulate United College on its equally remarkable growth in the short space of 15 years. The German people have been involved in various cultural exchanges with China from before the time of Adam Schall and it is fitting that in the 20th century, as in the 17th century, this East-West cooperation should be continued. I understand that the promotion of international understanding through contact s with other countries has always been encouraged by the College, particularly through the College foreign languages programme, the pursuit of graduate education abroad by former students of the College and by visits to various countries by both staff and students. No doubt these have contributed t o the fostering of an exchange of ideas much in the manner of Adam Schall and his European companions in 17th-century China. By my presence here today to open the Adam Schall Residence and to unveil the magnificent plaque of the patron of this building, I come to assure you of the good wishes and continued interest of the people of Germany on this special occasion. In view of the important place which student centres and halls of residence play in the intellectual, social and spiritual development of the student during his university years, I feel that the opening of this first hall of residence is not only important in providing adequate housing for 250 students in crowded Hong Kong, but it is a means of adding another important dimension to their student lives - that of learning how to live together, how to work for the common good, how to share, not only material things, but the joys and sorrows of which one becomes more aware when living together. On behalf o f the Catholic Church of Germany, I wish you many happy days in your new Residence and in your new College premises. May Almighty God bless all those who have brought us to this day — the early founders of the College, the present administration and staff, those who planned and helped to build this building, the Jesuit Fathers and Maryknoll Sisters who will administer it and all those students who will live in it. Address by Bishop Francis Hsu After more than seven years of planning, we are gathered here today to mark the official opening of the first hall of residence of United College of The Chinese University of Hong Kong. For the patron of this well designed hall we have chosen Adam Schall, a German Jesuit missionary t o China in the 17th century. It is more than three centuries since Schall left Macao for Peking for what proved to be an illustrious career as mathematician, astronomer, and reformer of the Chinese calendar - a career climaxed by his rising to the rank of Mandarin of the first grade in the court of the Emperor —t he highest honour ever bestowed on a foreigner. Adam Schall appears to us as a historical figure - in a costume no longer recognizable except to scholars. He stands there in his Mandarin gown and hood with the symbol of a crane embroidered on the front of his gown indicating his imperial status. We would, however, do 幕揭像念紀望若湯爲敎主伯思韓 The Most Rev. Franz Hengsbach unveiling the plaque of Adam Schall, patron of the Hostel - 3 -