Prior to his conversion, St Paul was present at St Stephen’s martyrdom in Acts 7. There are many Anglican institutions named after St Paul and St Stephen in Hong Kong, sometimes more known to the locals than the Anglican Church itself.
St Stephen’s Church on Bonham Road is the first Chinese speaking church in the territory founded by the CMS (Church Missionary Society) in 1865, first based at the current site of St Matthew’s church on Possession Street. The church moved to its current location on Bonham Road after three incarnations. The current church is well-hidden within its multi-storey brutalist structure.
The Church founded two single gender schools near its site at the turn of the 20th century. The Boy’s school purchased the land of the current site in Stanley in 1920s, as the school felt a call to serve a wider community beyond Hong Kong with boarding facilities. I briefly mentioned in my sermon last Sunday that the campus became an internment camp during the Japanese occupation in WW2. The Girl’s school remains at its current location and continued as one of the top schools of the city with notable alumni. The parish church founded a new school on its centenary in 1965 with its mission to serve the most under privileged children in the area.
St Paul’s College (for Boys) was founded in the same compound as Bishop’s House, prior to the establishment of the current parish church and the Girl’s school. During Japanese occupation, the two schools were forced to amalgamate to become St Paul’s Co-Educational College. The Boy’s college “resurrected” post war as they moved into the old campus vacated by St Stephen’s Boy’s College on Bonham Road. St Stephen’s became co-educational in 1970s.
No surprise that people or parents are very confused about which school is which!
Revd Harry Ching
