St. Mary's Church of the Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui

St. Mary's Church of the Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui

St. Mary's Church (St Mary's Church), also known as St. Mary’s Church of the Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui, was the first church established by the Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui to develop missionary work in the Eastern District of Hong Kong Island. Founded in 1911, it is situated at 2A Tai Hang Road, Causeway Bay, near the junction of Eastern Hospital Road and Causeway Road. It is now a church of the Hong Kong Island Diocese of the Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui. St. Mary's Church is the only remaining church in Hong Kong’s Hong Kong Island that combines Chinese architectural elements with Renaissance style, and it has been listed as a Grade I historic building in Hong Kong.

St. Mary's Church is now one of the two surviving Chinese Renaissance-style churches in Hong Kong (the other being St. Trinity Cathedral in Ma Tau Wai, Kowloon). Its architectural features blend Chinese and Western styles: the main façade is designed to resemble a Chinese imperial palace, with dozens of stone steps leading up to the entrance, while the interior follows the traditional design of Western churches.

History

In the early 20th century, the Canton-Hong Kong Diocese of the Sheng Kung Hui set up “The Eyre Diocesan Refuge for Destitute Woman” in Causeway Bay to provide shelter for destitute women, offering them a place to stay and teaching them literacy and life skills. At the time, Bishop Gerard Health Lander used a donation of 960 Hong Kong dollars, given in gratitude by the Church of England in 1930, to purchase a plot of land in Causeway Bay. He then spent 3,550 Hong Kong dollars to build a small chapel primarily for the gatherings of women from the refuge, which led to the establishment of St. Mary's Church.

Originally, the area around St. Mary's Church was rather desolate. However, as the population of Hong Kong began shifting eastward and due to its proximity to a small industrial area, the congregation gradually grew. By 1920, the church had around 600 members. As the original site became insufficient, Bishop Charles Ridley Duppuy initiated a church construction plan in 1930 and purchased over 6,000 square feet of land from the government. In 1933, Bishop Ronald Owen Hall became the seventh bishop and, the following year, appointed Reverend Lee Kau-yan as the vicar of St. Mary's Church to advance the church construction. Reflecting the push for localization within Chinese churches during the 1930s, the church design adopted classical Chinese architectural forms, with an estimated construction cost of 60,000 Hong Kong dollars. The foundation stone was laid on September 12, 1936, and the inauguration ceremony was presided over by Bishops Ronald Owen Hall and Arthur Morse on December 23, 1937. The 30th anniversary and dedication ceremony took place on December 20, 1940.

In 1940, the Hong Kong government reduced the front section of the church land and compensated with additional land at the back, necessitating further construction. After post-war restoration, a consecration ceremony was held on March 25, 1949. In 1953, Reverend Cheung Luk-heung took office as vicar and proposed the establishment of a kindergarten and the construction of a parsonage. The following year, Reverend Wong Po-lam succeeded him, and the construction of an elementary school began, with completion in February 1959. In 1963, plans for a secondary school were launched, and it was completed the next year, integrating educational and missionary efforts. The school, later named Mok Hing Yiu College, has since relocated to Hai Lai Estate in Lai Chi Kok, Kowloon.

Transportation Guide

Location: 2A Tai Hang Road, Wan Chai District, Hong Kong.

Getting There: Take air-conditioned loop bus routes 11 or 26.