Fr Joseph Mallin SJ's 100th Birthday
Video presentation at dinner party in Hong Kong to celebrate Fr. Joseph Mallin, SJ's 100th Birthday on 13th September 2013.
Interviewer -- Dr. Thomas Tsang (WYHK83)
Interviewees -- Dr. John Tan (WYHK81) / Mrs. Mary Tam (former PUAWYPS Principal) / Rev. Joseph Fan (former Yaumatei St. Paul's Parish Priest) / Fr. Sean Coghlan S.J.
Video Editor -- Mr. Nick Tsui (WYHK67)
Fr. Joseph Mallin, SJ was born on September 13, 1913. His father, Commandant Michael Mallin, was executed by the British for his part in the Easter Rising of 1916.
Fr. Mallin remembers his mother as a wise woman, who tried to let them experience as normal a family life as possible. At the time of her husband's execution she had four children and was expecting their fifth. In a final letter to her, her husband wrote "to pray for all the souls who fell in this fight, Irish and English".
Fr. Mallin entered the Irish Jesuit Novitiate in 1932. He received education in the University College Dublin, Tullabeg, and St Ignatius Galway. In 1946, he was ordained in Milltown Park.
In 1948, he came to China by sea with Fr. W Merritt and 4 Scholastics, one of whom was Fr. McGaley. The Catholic cargo supervisor died during the trip and Fr. Mallin was asked to conduct the burial service at sea. He spent the next two years in Guangzhou and Hong Kong, studying Chinese language along the way.
In 1950, Fr. Mallin became Min Proc Teacher of Wah Yan Hong Kong. He was in charge of the construction of the new school in 1954-55. In Wah Yan Kowloon (where he served for ten years intermittently between 1957 and 1971) he was credited with overseeing construction of the new chapel there.
Fr. Mallin also spent four years in Macau as Principal of Ricci College (1969-70, 1978-81).
Fr. Mallin became Headmaster of Pun U Wah Yan Primary School during 1971-77 and later acted as its Supervisor (1977-78, 1981-2002).
For over 40 years, Fr. Mallin cherished and conducted parish work every Sunday in Yaumatei Catholic Primary School St Paul Parish. He was greatly loved by those who attended his masses.
Fr. Mallin played the flute, which had belonged to his father. The flute and his father's watch are now in the National Museum in Dublin.
Fr. Mallin has been a Jesuit for over 80 years he is deeply respected by all those who know him.