Nicholas Kao Se Tseien
Nicholas Kao Se Tseien O.C.S.O. (traditional Chinese: 高師謙; simplified Chinese: 高师谦; pinyin: Gāo Shīqiān; 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]
Nicholas Kao Se Tseien | |
|---|---|
高師謙 | |
 | |
| Personal | |
| Born | 15 January 1897 |
| Died | 11 December 2007 (aged 110) |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Alma mater | Xiamen University |
| Known for | oldest living Catholic priest |
| Order | Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance |
| Church | Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception Our Lady of Joy Abbey |
Biography
Born in Fuzhou, Fujian province, one of four brothers, Kao studied law at Xiamen University and later converted to Catholicism at the age of 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 brought 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 on the morning of 11 December 2007, at the age of 110 years and 330 days.[6]
See also
References
- 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-year-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 2007. 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.
- ""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
- (in Italian) Reportage at Vatican Radio, 18 January 2007
- Kao's photo on The Standard