Funeral Tribute by The Rt. Revd Andrew Chan,
Created by kip 8 years agoTHE REVEREND DR JOYCE BENNETT – A TRIBUTE
The Rt. Revd Andrew Chan
It is deeply moving to see such a large group of family and friends gathered together to participate in this service of Thanksgiving for the remarkable life of the Revd Dr Joyce Bennett. In fact, in the few short weeks since Joyce passed away on the 11th of July, memories of her fruitful life as priest and as teacher have been celebrated in a variety of settings that reflect the breadth of contribution she made to a variety of communities across the world in her fruitful life. In Hong Kong, our Provincial clergy offered special prayers for Joyce, the staff and the students at a memorial ceremony in St Catharine’s School. Alumni of St Catharine’s voluntarily came together to express their loving memories of Joyce. Church members touchingly described their recollections of her time with them in the church bulletin. Among the many tributes that have been published or expressed in both religious and public media in many countries, reference has been frequently made to Archbishop Paul Kwong’s stirring acclamation of Joyce’s raft of initiatives and contributions, which have left a long-lasting impression on Hong Kong.
Born in Britain in 1923, Ms Bennett was sent by the Church Missionary Society to serve in Hong Kong in 1949 as a missionary. She was eager to learn from the local Chinese people about our language, culture and customs. In her early years as a school teacher, she dedicated herself to learning as much as she could about the phonemics, grammar and vocabulary of Cantonese – such a complicated dialect – and she became a proficient Cantonese speaker. She was made a deacon in 1962 and nine years later, when Bishop Gilbert Baker ordained her to the Holy Order of Priesthood, she became the first British woman priest ever in the Anglican Communion. Having served as both teacher and chaplain at Bishop Hall Jubilee School from 1963, she was entrusted with the task of establishing St Catherine’s School for Girls by Bishop R O Hall in 1966. From 1968 to 1983 she was the first principal of St Catharine’s, while assisting in the ministry of St Barnabas’ Church, a Chinese-speaking parish, on Sundays.
Joyce was a long-time campaigner for enlightened reform in Hong Kong in the area of social issues such as poverty, youth development, education, justice and welfare. She was appointed an unofficial member of the Legislative Council from 1976 to 1983 and was honoured by the Queen with an OBE in 1978. The University of Hong Kong conferred upon her the honorary degree of Doctor of Social Sciences, honoris causa, in 1984. Among the residents of Hong Kong she was well-known as an important social leader. During her thirty-four years of service in Hong Kong, she showed great affection for the Chinese people and the Chinese culture. She was particularly enthusiastic about spreading the Good News among the Chinese. After her return to Britain in 1983, she continued to serve Chinese people in London at St Martin-in-the-Fields.
In the ECHO (the HKSKH newspaper in Hong Kong) of 19th July, Archbishop Paul Kwong hailed Joyce as an outstanding missionary, pastor, educationist, and politician, who had made a substantial contribution to Hong Kong, the United Kingdom and, beyond to the Anglican Communion. As the founding principal of St Catharine’s School, she created an opportunity for girls from ordinary families to receive a good education, thereby markedly raising the level of Hong Kong women’s education across the board and this was the legacy she left to the Anglican Church as well as the development of education in Hong Kong. Joyce regularly aired her forthright opinions about social and educational issues to the leaders of the Hong Kong Government.
When I did my theological studies in UK in the early 1990’s, I had the privilege of a deeper sharing with Joyce. She was a good mentor, teacher and friend. She was an English woman priest, but her love and caring was freely extended beyond her gender and her race. Her heart, like Jesus’, welcomed all who came to share her life and learn from her. Joyce had always put Hong Kong and Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui in her heart, and her death is a loss to the Church and the education sector. We Hong Kong people, especially Hong Kong Anglicans, pray fervently for the Heavenly Father’s comfort and safe keeping of Joyce while Mary and the family are always in our thought.
There is a quotation from the Book of History, which perhaps can serve as a footnote to the life of Joyce. In the Han dynasty there was a famous loyal general Li Guang. He was known far and wide for his honesty and kindness, and his love for his subordinates. When he died, he was mourned deeply both by those who knew him as well as by those who did not. Si Ma Qian, the author of the Book of History, wrote a poetic couplet to describe peoples' spontaneous love and respect for Li Guang. He wrote, “The peaches and plums do not speak, yet underneath them a path was formed.” Peoples' respect and love for Li Guang was much the same as the path worn thin under the peaches and plum trees. The flowers were so beautiful and popular that the many people who came to enjoy their beauty automatically paved a path under the fruit trees.
When we have done something good, God himself is our reward. A clear conscience, peace and good heart, is already its own reward. I believe that Joyce has attained that happiness, that peace and that joy. Amen.
The Rt. Revd Andrew Chan
It is deeply moving to see such a large group of family and friends gathered together to participate in this service of Thanksgiving for the remarkable life of the Revd Dr Joyce Bennett. In fact, in the few short weeks since Joyce passed away on the 11th of July, memories of her fruitful life as priest and as teacher have been celebrated in a variety of settings that reflect the breadth of contribution she made to a variety of communities across the world in her fruitful life. In Hong Kong, our Provincial clergy offered special prayers for Joyce, the staff and the students at a memorial ceremony in St Catharine’s School. Alumni of St Catharine’s voluntarily came together to express their loving memories of Joyce. Church members touchingly described their recollections of her time with them in the church bulletin. Among the many tributes that have been published or expressed in both religious and public media in many countries, reference has been frequently made to Archbishop Paul Kwong’s stirring acclamation of Joyce’s raft of initiatives and contributions, which have left a long-lasting impression on Hong Kong.
Born in Britain in 1923, Ms Bennett was sent by the Church Missionary Society to serve in Hong Kong in 1949 as a missionary. She was eager to learn from the local Chinese people about our language, culture and customs. In her early years as a school teacher, she dedicated herself to learning as much as she could about the phonemics, grammar and vocabulary of Cantonese – such a complicated dialect – and she became a proficient Cantonese speaker. She was made a deacon in 1962 and nine years later, when Bishop Gilbert Baker ordained her to the Holy Order of Priesthood, she became the first British woman priest ever in the Anglican Communion. Having served as both teacher and chaplain at Bishop Hall Jubilee School from 1963, she was entrusted with the task of establishing St Catherine’s School for Girls by Bishop R O Hall in 1966. From 1968 to 1983 she was the first principal of St Catharine’s, while assisting in the ministry of St Barnabas’ Church, a Chinese-speaking parish, on Sundays.
Joyce was a long-time campaigner for enlightened reform in Hong Kong in the area of social issues such as poverty, youth development, education, justice and welfare. She was appointed an unofficial member of the Legislative Council from 1976 to 1983 and was honoured by the Queen with an OBE in 1978. The University of Hong Kong conferred upon her the honorary degree of Doctor of Social Sciences, honoris causa, in 1984. Among the residents of Hong Kong she was well-known as an important social leader. During her thirty-four years of service in Hong Kong, she showed great affection for the Chinese people and the Chinese culture. She was particularly enthusiastic about spreading the Good News among the Chinese. After her return to Britain in 1983, she continued to serve Chinese people in London at St Martin-in-the-Fields.
In the ECHO (the HKSKH newspaper in Hong Kong) of 19th July, Archbishop Paul Kwong hailed Joyce as an outstanding missionary, pastor, educationist, and politician, who had made a substantial contribution to Hong Kong, the United Kingdom and, beyond to the Anglican Communion. As the founding principal of St Catharine’s School, she created an opportunity for girls from ordinary families to receive a good education, thereby markedly raising the level of Hong Kong women’s education across the board and this was the legacy she left to the Anglican Church as well as the development of education in Hong Kong. Joyce regularly aired her forthright opinions about social and educational issues to the leaders of the Hong Kong Government.
When I did my theological studies in UK in the early 1990’s, I had the privilege of a deeper sharing with Joyce. She was a good mentor, teacher and friend. She was an English woman priest, but her love and caring was freely extended beyond her gender and her race. Her heart, like Jesus’, welcomed all who came to share her life and learn from her. Joyce had always put Hong Kong and Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui in her heart, and her death is a loss to the Church and the education sector. We Hong Kong people, especially Hong Kong Anglicans, pray fervently for the Heavenly Father’s comfort and safe keeping of Joyce while Mary and the family are always in our thought.
There is a quotation from the Book of History, which perhaps can serve as a footnote to the life of Joyce. In the Han dynasty there was a famous loyal general Li Guang. He was known far and wide for his honesty and kindness, and his love for his subordinates. When he died, he was mourned deeply both by those who knew him as well as by those who did not. Si Ma Qian, the author of the Book of History, wrote a poetic couplet to describe peoples' spontaneous love and respect for Li Guang. He wrote, “The peaches and plums do not speak, yet underneath them a path was formed.” Peoples' respect and love for Li Guang was much the same as the path worn thin under the peaches and plum trees. The flowers were so beautiful and popular that the many people who came to enjoy their beauty automatically paved a path under the fruit trees.
When we have done something good, God himself is our reward. A clear conscience, peace and good heart, is already its own reward. I believe that Joyce has attained that happiness, that peace and that joy. Amen.