文度士神父安息主懷
在二零壹零年十月三日,我校的前商科部校長文度士神父在他西班牙的家鄉探親時安息主懷,享年八十四歲。
文度士神父於一九二六年四月六日出生於一個位於西班牙萊昂省的一條小村莊。 他一九四五年在西班牙發永願,並在一九五一年七月十五日在愛爾蘭晉鐸。及後他在意大利羅馬的聖湯瑪士大學獲取他的神學碩士學位。
一九五二年文度士神父再往菲律賓進修神學,並在一九六零年獲取神學博士學位。其後他繼續留在菲律賓的馬尼拉直至一九七二年。文神父生前多次表示十分懷念那段在菲律賓對他個人成長十分重要的歲月。
在一九七二至一九七八年期間文度士神父被道明會分別派往澳洲和意大利的堂區做了數年的傳道工作。直至到一九七八年九月文神父被委派一個新任務,便是來香港玫瑰崗學校執教。
在菲律賓和澳洲的任務完成後來港加入玫瑰崗學校,並在一九七八年起在本校任教 ,而且先後出任商科部校長、宗教科主任等學校職務,期間亦曾於香港大學任教西班牙文。過去兩年,文神父亦出任初學生神修指導和聽告解司 鐸 。
是次文神父西班牙之行, 主要是返回古鄉探親 ,他原訂十月初便返港 ,可惜途中突告身 體不適 。 其實,在文神父離世時 ,道明會遠東會省會長岡薩雷斯(Javier Gonzalez)亦剛巧身在西班牙, 亦剛好在文神父離世前一天探望過文神父。
文神父的逾越聖祭已於十月五日在西班牙舉行。在香港,本地道明會亦於十月十五日假玫瑰崗學校小堂為文神父舉行彌撒。
雖然文神父榮歸天國,但他那常掛在他面上慈祥的笑容將永遠留在我們的心裡。
Fr. Francisco Mendoza (1926-2010)
In mid June 2010 Fr Francisco Mendoza, who was the former Principal of the Business Section between 1984 and 1987, went back to Spain for a vacation to visit his brothers and family members. He was scheduled to come back to Hong Kong in the first week of October to continue with his work in Rosaryhill School; however, the ways of God were different and He called Fr. Mendoza to himself on 3 October 2010.
Fr. Mendoza was born in a little village (Huerga de Garaballes) in the province of León, Spain, on 6 April 1926. When still in his teens he joined the Apostolic School to become a Dominican priest. After years of studying Philosophy and Theology, in Spain and in Ireland, he was ordained a priest in Ireland on 15 July 1951.He spent the following year in Rome, where he obtained his Masters in Sacred Theology at the University of St. Thomas.
He went to the Philippines in 1952 to work first in San Juan de Letran school and later in Santo Tomas University, where in 1960 he obtained his Doctorate in Sacred Theology. He stayed in Manila until 1972. Those years always remained in his memory, as they were the intensive and important years of his youth.
In 1972 he was assigned to the new and temporary mission of Australia, where he worked as a parish priest in Newcastle for 4 years, going afterwards to our house in Rome where he stayed for another two years. In September 1978 he was assigned to Rosaryhill School where he remained for the rest of his life.
Fr. Mendoza held different posts within the school. In the first few years he was assigned to teach Religious Studies to the higher forms, and he was also appointed as the Head of the Department of Religion, a post he held until 1984 when he was appointed Principal of the Business Studies Section. He was Principal of the BSS until 1987. Afterwards he taught Social Ethics in the Secondary Section for many years. He has also been member of the Fathers Council and School Management Committee.
From the beginning of his stay in Rosaryhill School he was the Rector of the school Chapel, looking after the community of faithful who every Sunday came for Mass. He also prepared young children for first Holy Communion and Confirmation. He also attended to the needs of some of the attendants of the Sunday Mass.
Fr. Mendoza has been a happy and courageous man. He was full of vitality and enthusiasm in all the moments of his life. He did enjoy preaching and sharing his welcoming smile with the children in the school and in the chapel, with teachers, parents and those faithful who came to the Sunday celebration of the Mass. May we all offer our prayer and wish him rest in peace.