Nicholas Kao Se Tseien
Nicholas Kao Se Tseien | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
高師謙 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
 Nicholas Kao Se Tseien in 2007 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 15 January 1897 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 11 December 2007 (aged 110 years, 330 days) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Religion | Roman Catholic | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | Xiamen University | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Known for | Oldest living Catholic priest | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Organization | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Order | Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Church | Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception Our Lady of Joy Abbey | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 高師謙 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 高师谦 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Nicholas Kao Se Tseien O.C.S.O. (traditional Chinese: 高師謙; simplified Chinese: 高师谦; pinyin: Gāo Shīqiān; Jyutping: Gou1 Si1him1; 15 January 1897[1] – 11 December 2007),[2] was a Chinese Trappist priest living in Hong Kong who had been the oldest living Catholic priest and also the oldest person ever to have had a cataract operation according to the Guinness Book of World Records.[1][3]
Biography
Born in Fuzhou, Fujian province, one of four brothers, Kao studied law at Xiamen University and later converted to Catholicism aged 18 while attending a school run by Spanish Dominican friars. He was trained as a teacher and studied law at night, but he ultimately decided to become a priest.
His life spanned parts of three centuries, two Emperors of China, and ten papacies. He stated that in 1912 he voted for Sun Yat Sen as China's president.[1] His clerical life would bring him from China to Taiwan, Malaysia, and finally Hong Kong.
In 1972, he was at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.[4] He lived a cloistered life, but regularly shared advice for a healthy and long life. He gave visitors a list of "Healthy Seven Nos": no smoking; no anger; no alcohol; no overeating; constant exercise; constant prayer; no rudeness. He was devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary throughout his life — he would say the Rosary many times each day, and built six shrines to her in Taiwan, Mainland China, Malaysia and Hong Kong.[5]
He stayed at Our Lady of Joy Abbey at Lantau Island for more than 30 years,[5] where he died peacefully in his sleep on the morning of 11 December 2007, aged 110 years and 330 days. His body was buried in the Monastery's private graveyard.[6]
See also
References
- ^ a b c Mitchell, Justin (8 October 2005). "Priest confesses secrets of longevity". The Standard. Archived from the original on 16 July 2012.
- ^ "Secluded in Lantau Island, the longest-lived Hong Kong native, 110 day old man died 隱居大嶼山修道 最長壽的香港人110歲人瑞逝世". Apple Daily appledaily.atnext.com (in Chinese). 12 December 1897. Retrieved 27 September 2017.
- ^ Reportage at Vatican Radio, January 18, 2007 Archived October 11, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Hao, Gao (November 26, 2017). "Master's Day, Christ the King's Day, 3849 Recalling Father Gao Shiqian". Retrieved December 4, 2018.
- ^ a b ""Other Local Church News" Father Gao Shiqian of the Lantau Mountain Monastery, Master Shi Qian, celebrates the 110th birthday 其他本地教會新聞 大嶼山神樂院高師謙神父 感恩祭慶祝一百一十壽辰". Kung Kao Po (in Chinese). Retrieved 5 December 2018.
- ^ "本地教會 第3330期". kkp.catholic.org.hk. Retrieved 2019-06-13.
External links
- Reportage at Vatican Radio, 18 January 2007 (in Italian)
- Fr Kao's photo on The Standard
- Fr Kao's Memorial Webpage
- Fr Kao's Memorial Blog
