Rev. PLACZEK, Agostino PIME
奧斯定神父

A large circle of friends, Roman Catholics and otherwise, will learn with deep regret of the death of the Rev. Father Augustin Placzek, who had been rector of St. Margaret Mary’s Church. Broadwood Road, Happy Valley, ever since the completion of that Church some three years ago.

Father Augustin’s death took place, not unexpectedly, at the French Hospital, Causeway Bay, at 10 o’clock last night, after an illness, which lasted about a week. Although of a robust constitution, Father Augustin was unable to withstand his last illness and sank steadily almost from the moment of his admission to the hospital, in spite of all possible medical attention and the tender ministrations of the good sisters of St. Paul’s Institution, with which Father Augustin had been identified for a number of years as spiritual director.

A gloom fell over Father Augustin’s flock of St. Margaret Mary’s Church and Roman Catholics in Hong Kong generally, early this week when it was learned that all hope had been given up for his recovery and that he had received the last rites of his religion. Since Monday Father Augustin had lingered at death’s door, and it was only his strong constitution which permitted him to put up such a stout struggle.

Born in Poland
Father Augustin, who was born in Poland on 21 August 1874, was just over 54 years of age at the time of his death. He completed his studies in Italy, where he joined the Milan Foreign Mission Society.

He first came to Hong Kong in 1898 at the age of 24 years, and except for a short visit home after the Great War in which his people suffered greatly, Father Augustin had been a priest in Hong Kong for the past 30 years. On his arrival in Hong Kong, he was for some time given charge of the Italian Mission Seminary as Professor, and practically all the Chinese priests of the Vicariate have been his pupils. Soon afterwards he was appointed Chaplain to the Forces, a position which he held until recently when he took over the rectorship of the new St. Margaret Mary’s Church in the construction of which he had taken a great interest. It was owing to Father Augustin’s efforts that St. Margaret Mary’s Church possesses one of the finest organs in the Colony and the electric clock, which is a landmark at Happy Valley and a boon to residents in the neighbourhood.

Some 25 years old, on the death of the late Rev. Father Hipolitus, Father Augustin was appointed Rector of St. Joseph’s Church, and was responsible for its many improvements, which throughout his rectorship was the Servicemen’s place of worship, the Catholic members of both the Navy and the Army attending Church parade at St. Joseph’s regularly each Sunday. Of great organizing ability, Father Augustin saw the need of a meeting place and recreation hall for his flock at St. Joseph’s and it was due to his efforts that St. Patrick’s Club was brought into being.

Welcomed All
Club life in Hong Kong 25 years ago did not afford the facilities to be found at the present time, so that St. Patrick’s Club was a boon to every man, especially Servicemen. Father Augustin’s broadmindedness prompted him to welcome everybody at St. Patrick’s irrespective of their religious beliefs, so that he rapidly became well-known and popular with every foreign residents in Hong Kong. There are still many old residents, non-Catholics, who hold Father Augustin in deep regard, a regard which he fully earned and which he held to the last. These old friends will doubtless regard Father Augustin’s passing as a personal loss.

 Kindly Adviser
Of a kindly and genial disposition, Father Augustin always had a good word of advice to every stranger in Hong Kong. He went out of his way to make them feel at home, helped them to carve out a career, and, to really deserving cases, helped them financially as far as he could. Many have to thank Father Augustin for a start in life in the old days, and many were deeply grateful to the good priest for his assistance, Father Augustin’s reward lay in the fact that his proteges remained ever grateful and loyal to him. Although he had always been a frank, plainspoken man, it was difficult for anyone to take offence, so pleasingly were the “little lectures” delivered for the good of those he took upon himself to uplift.

Many of the former members of his St. Joseph’s Church congregation and of St. Patrick’s Club, became his attached friends, especially members of H.M. Forces and of the local Police who kept uninterrupted correspondence with him, even many years after they had left the Colony. All will feel his loss keenly.

He was most beloved by his cosmopolitan congregation at St. Margaret Mary’s Church, and very popular on account of his forceful preaching and for the great interest he always took in his flock, for his great zeal for the upkeep of his church, which in addition to the up-to-date organ, he provided with stained-glass windows, a perfect choir, and many other decorations, his ambition being to make it the best in the Colony. His parishioners generously responded to his appeals.

He leaves at home a brother and his aged mother, 92 years old, for whom much sympathy will be felt.

Service This Morning
At 7 o’clock this morning a largely attended dead service was held at St. Margaret Mary’s Church, at which His Lordship Bishop H. Valtorta officiated assisted by the clergy. The body of the dead priest, in its coffin was in the Church during the service and will lie in state there until the time for the funeral. During the day many people visited the Church to view the body and pay their last respects.

The funeral will take place today, the cortege passing the Monument at Happy Valley at 5:30 pm.
27 September 1928

奧 斯 定 神 父 ， 波 蘭 人 ， 生 於 一 八 七 四 年 八 月 廿 一 日 。 晉 陞 鐸 品 後 ， 即 奉 命 來 華 。 一 八 九 八 年 到 港 ， 旋 當 辣 丁 書 院 教 席 ， 迨 又 奉 命 為 聖 若 瑟 堂 與 聖 瑪 加 利 大 堂 本 堂 。 奧 公 為 人 秉 性 剛 直 ， 勇 於 治 事 ， 且 才 德 優 長 ， 遐 邇 咸 欽 ， 乃 因 積 勞 成 疾 ， 藥 石 無 靈 ， 遂 被 領 聖 事 ， 於 一 九 二 八 年 九 月 廿 六 夕 安 然 長 逝 矣 ， 茲 仰 各 教 友 ， 為 彼 祈 主 ， 早 賜 安 所 。
香 港 大 堂 啟
1928 年 10 月 7 日


◆ From Milan to Hong Kong 150 Years of Mission, by Gianni Criveller, Vox Amica Press, 2008.
◆ 從米蘭到香港150年傳教使命, 柯毅霖著, 良友之聲出版社, 2008.
◆ 先賢錄－－香港天主教神職及男女修會會士 (1841-2010), 天主教香港教區檔案處, 2010.
◆ 先賢錄－－香港天主教神職及男女修會會士 (1841-2016), 天主教香港教區檔案處, 2016.


PLACZEK Agostine.pdf