Nicholas Kao Se Tseien
O.C.S.O.
高師謙
Nicholas Kao Se Tseien in 2007
Personal
Born(1897-01-15)15 January 1897
Fuzhou, Fujian, Qing Empire
Died(2007-12-11)11 December 2007
(aged 110 years, 330 days)
Our Lady of Joy Abbey, Lantao, Hong Kong
ReligionRoman Catholic
Alma materXiamen University
Known forOldest living Catholic priest
OrderOrder of Cistercians of the Strict Observance
ChurchCathedral of the Immaculate Conception
Our Lady of Joy Abbey
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese高師謙
Simplified Chinese高师谦

Father Nicholas Kao Se Tseien O.C.S.O. (traditional Chinese: 高師謙; simplified Chinese: 高师谦; pinyin: Gāo Shīqiān; Jyutping: Gou1 Si1him1; 15 January 1897[1] – 11 December 2007),[2] was a Chinese Trappist priest living in Hong Kong who had been the oldest living Catholic priest and also the oldest person ever to have had a cataract operation according to the Guinness Book of World Records.[1][3]

Biography

Born in Fuzhou, Fujian province, one of four brothers, Kao studied law at Xiamen University and later converted to Catholicism aged 18 while attending a school run by Spanish Dominican friars. He was trained as a teacher and studied law at night, but he ultimately decided to become a priest.

His life spanned parts of three centuries, two Emperors of China, and ten papacies. He stated that in 1912 he voted for Sun Yat Sen as China's president.[1] His clerical life would bring him from China to Taiwan, Malaysia, and finally Hong Kong.

In 1972, he was at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.[4] He lived a cloistered life, but regularly shared advice for a healthy and long life. He gave visitors a list of "Healthy Seven Nos": no smoking; no anger; no alcohol; no overeating; constant exercise; constant prayer; no rudeness. He was devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary throughout his life — he would say the Rosary many times each day, and built six shrines to her in Taiwan, Mainland China, Malaysia and Hong Kong.[5]

He stayed at Our Lady of Joy Abbey at Lantau Island for more than 30 years,[5] where he died peacefully in his sleep on the morning of 11 December 2007, aged 110 years and 330 days. His body was buried in the Monastery's private graveyard.[6]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Mitchell, Justin (8 October 2005). "Priest confesses secrets of longevity". The Standard. Archived from the original on 16 July 2012.
  2. ↑ "Secluded in Lantau Island, the longest-lived Hong Kong native, 110 day old man died 隱居大嶼山修道 最長壽的香港人110歲人瑞逝世". Apple Daily appledaily.atnext.com (in Chinese). 12 December 1897. Retrieved 27 September 2017.
  3. ↑ Reportage at Vatican Radio, January 18, 2007 Archived October 11, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  4. ↑ Hao, Gao (November 26, 2017). "Master's Day, Christ the King's Day, 3849 Recalling Father Gao Shiqian". Retrieved December 4, 2018.
  5. 1 2 ""Other Local Church News" Father Gao Shiqian of the Lantau Mountain Monastery, Master Shi Qian, celebrates the 110th birthday 其他本地教會新聞 大嶼山神樂院高師謙神父 感恩祭慶祝一百一十壽辰". Kung Kao Po (in Chinese). Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  6. ↑ "本地教會 第3330期". kkp.catholic.org.hk. Retrieved 2019-06-13.
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