Northern Ireland

Hong Kong school founded by Co Tyrone priest remembers 'outstanding educator'

Fr Pat Canavan from Co Tyrone founded a Hong Kong school in 1970.
Fr Pat Canavan from Co Tyrone founded a Hong Kong school in 1970.
By Allan Preston

A Co Tyrone priest who founded a secondary school in Hong Kong has been remembered as “an outstanding educator”.

Fr Hugh Patrick (Pat) Canavan (93) was from Aughamullan near Dungannon and founded a Catholic boys' grammar, the Sing Yin Secondary School, in 1970.

He died peacefully on Wednesday in South Africa at Nazareth House, Port Elizabeth.

The son of the late Peter and Margaret Canavan, a family notice said his loss was deeply regretted by his siblings, wider family and by his peers and community at Sing Yin and in Nazareth House.

In a statement, the principal of Sing Yin told pupils it was “with great sadness” that the school founder had died.

Having served as superintendent from 1970 until his retirement in 1993, he called him “an outstanding educator who cares for all staff, students and parents”.

Fr Canavan pictured with his colleagues when he retired in 1993.
Fr Canavan pictured with his colleagues when he retired in 1993.

Information on the school website shows that the decision to establish a school in Hong Kong was taken in 1966 by the Divine World Missionaries – one of the largest missionary congregations in the Catholic Church.

The original campus of Sin Ying Secondary School in the Lam Tin area.
The original campus of Sin Ying Secondary School in the Lam Tin area.

Built in the Lam Tin area, the school celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2019.

Moving to new premises in 2011, it became known as Hong Kong’s first environmental demonstration school and won the Greenest School on Earth title two years later.