In 1926, the Irish Province of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) were invited by the Vicar Apostolic of Hong Kong, Bishop Henry Valtorta (1883-1953), to work in Hong Kong. In October 1926, Frs George Byrne (1879-1962) and John Neary (1889-1983), left Dublin for Hong Kong, which became a mission for the Irish Province.
The photographs in this collection, from 1929 until before the Second World War, concentrate in the areas of Hong Kong and Canton (Guangdong), China. Irish Jesuits were involved in general missionary work and: the Catholic journal, ‘The Rock’; hostel (Ricci Hall) for Chinese Catholic students at the University of Hong Kong (1929-); the Regional Seminary, Aberdeen, Hong Kong (1931-); teaching at Star of the Sea School, Shiuhing (Zhaoqing), China (1929-), Sacred Heart College, Canton (Guangdong), China (1928-), and Wah Yan College, Hong Kong (1932-); teaching philosophy in the seminary in Macao; teaching at the Portuguese college at Shiuhing and lecturing at the University of Hong Kong.
