Sr. MONAGHAN, Mary Aquinas SSC
亞規納修女

Death of Sister Mary Aquinas Monaghan S.S.C.
R.I.P.

Sister Aquinas died at the Ruttonjee Sanatorium, Queen’s Road East, Hong Kong, on 28 November 1985, after a relatively short illness, aged 66.

Born in Ballinasloe, Ireland, she was educated at Loreto Convent, Navan. After joining the Columban Sisters in 1939 she attended University College, Dublin, graduating with M.B., B. Ch., B.A.O. in 1947.

Leader
Sister Aquinas was originally assigned in 1948 to work in the Columbia Sisters’ Mission in Han Yang, China, but since entry to China as a missionary at that time was impossible, she was reassigned to Hong Kong. She was the leader of the group of young Columban Sisters who took over the Ruttonjee Sanatorium in 1949. Under her leadership as Medical Superintendent this dedicated group of Sisters and lay staff became deeply involved in Hong Kong’s greatest public health problem at that time, tuberculosis, achieving great success in their battle to eradicate this dread disease. Sister was a natural leader, and together with Sr. M. Gabriel (another Columban Sister-Doctor) she inspired the staff with her total dedication. With her natural charm, her pleasant, understanding nature, and her ease of approach, she won the confidence and the full of support of the group.

Sister Aquinas gradually built up a reputation as an authority on tuberculosis and related medical problems. She traveled widely, giving lectures to learned audience all over the world. More recently she devoted a good deal of her time to lecturing in Africa where she felt she had a special contribution to make. She also wrote extensively in medical journals, sharing the results of her research and her long years of practical experience.

Doctor
As might be expected, she made a significant contribution to medicine in Hong Kong by her membership of many medical organizations, among which were the Hong Kong Medical Council, the Medical Faculty, University of Hong Kong; the Hong Kong Medical Association; the Federation of Medical Societies; the British Medical Association. She held the post of Honorary Clinical lecturer in medicine at the University of Hong Kong from 1952 onward and during that thirty years she built up a very close and friendly relationship with staff and students, who respected her professional excellence and admired her attractive and personal qualities. During her stay in the Queen Mary Hospital during her last illness, it was very moving to see the number of her former students who came to visit her, and who were genuinely concerned about her health.

Sister Aquinas also had great concern for drug addicts and was for many years a very active member of the Action Committee Against Narcotics (A.C.A.N.) and the Society for the Aid and Rehabilitation of Drug Abusers (S.A.R.D.A) of which she was Chairman from 1981 up to the time of her last illness.

Among the many community service organization to which Sister Aquinas gave generously of her time were the Catholic Marriage Advisory Council, the Community Advice Bureau, of which she was Vice-Chairman, and Seroptimist International of Hong Kong, of which she was Honorary Secretary.

Her contribution to medicine in Hong Kong and her dedicated service to the community were recognized by the University of Hong Kong with the awarded of an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Social Science in 1978 and in 1980 she was awarded the O.B.E.

In 1977 she was awarded a fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

Personality
Sister Aquinas gave herself selflessly to the service of other and her giving was characterized by joy, good humour and graciousness. She had a large heart and loved people; she particularly enjoyed helping others with their medical or personal problems. A vast number of people are deeply indebted to her for her wise counsel and her personal interest in them. She loved life and enjoyed living; she was the life and soul of any group with which she worked. Her infectious good humour, her balanced judgment and her readiness to help others meant that she was always very much in demand and she responded by sharing herself generously with others.

Sister Aquinas will be greatly missed by her family, by her Columban Sisters, by the staff and patients of the Ruttonjee Sanatorium, and by a very great number of friends who loved her deeply.
6 December 1985

身兼要職貢獻良多
律敦治療養院院長
亞規納修女病逝

本 港 律 敦 治 療 養 院 院 長 亞 規 納 修 女 ， 在 一 九 八 五 年 十 一 月 廿 八 日 因 癌 症 逝 世 於 律 敦 治 療 養 院 ， 享 年 六 十 六 歲 。

亞 規 納 修 女 於 逝 世 前 曾 替 自 己 選 定 追 悼 彌 撒 中 所 用 的 歌 曲 ， 追 悼 彌 撒 於 本 月 三 十 日 (星 期 六) 上 午 十 時 三 十 分 ， 在 銅 鑼 灣 耶 穌 君 王 小 堂 舉 行 。 彌 撒 中 由 瑪 利 曼 學 生 唱 出 亞 規 納 修 女 的 選 曲 。 數 位 參 禮 的 神 父 覺 得 甚 有 追 悼 的 氣 氛 。

亞 規 納 修 女 一 九 一 九 年 出 生 於 愛 爾 蘭 ， 畢 業 都 柏 林 大 學 醫 院 ， 一 九 三 九 年 獻 身 聖 高 隆 龐 女 修 會 。 一 九 四 八 年 奉 派 往 中 國 衡 陽 工 作 ， 一 九 四 九 年 調 來 香 港 領 導 聖 高 隆 龐 一 群 年 青 修 女 ， 在 香 港 防 癆 心 臟 及 胸 病 協 會 屬 下 之 律 敦 治 療 養 院 工 作 ， 擔 任 院 長 ， 直 至 去 世 。

律 敦 治 療 養 院 為 香 港 治 療 胸 肺 科 疾 病 主 要 醫 院 之 一 ， 亞 規 納 修 女 在 律 敦 治 療 養 院 工 作 期 間 ， 對 癆 病 有 深 入 之 研 究 ， 著 書 立 說 ， 並 往 世 界 各 地 講 學 ， 遍 及 東 南 亞 國 家 及 非 洲 國 家 。

亞 規 納 修 女 為 香 港 大 學 醫 學 院 及 中 文 大 學 醫 學 院 名 譽 講 師 、 香 港 醫 務 委 員 會 會 員 、 香 港 大 學 醫 學 系 委 員 、 香 港 醫 學 會 副 會 長 ， 香 港 醫 學 聯 會 會 員 、 英 國 醫 學 會 會 員 、 禁 毒 常 務 委 員 會 會 員 及 香 港 戒 毒 會 主 席 。

亞 規 納 修 女 一 九 七 七 年 獲 愛 丁 堡 皇 家 醫 學 院 頒 授 內 科 院 士 、 一 九 七 八 年 獲 香 港 大 學 頒 授 社 會 科 學 榮 譽 博 士 、 一 九 八 ０ 年 獲 頒 授 OBE 勛 銜 。

亞 規 納 修 女 去 世 ， 不 僅 是 她 家 人 、 聖 高 隆 龐 女 修 會 、 律 敦 治 療 養 院 的 損 失 ， 亦 是 香 港 社 會 的 巨 大 損 失 。
1985年 12 月 6 日


◆ 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.


http://www.bmj.com/content/292/6514/208.extract
http://www3.hku.hk/hongrads/index.php/chi/archive/graduate_detail/225