Charles Herman Vath
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Charles Herman Vath | |
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| Priest of the Diocese of Hong Kong Chief Executive of Caritas Hong Kong | |
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| Church | Roman Catholic Church |
| Diocese | Hong Kong |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | March 8, 1952 |
| Rank | Protonotary Apostolic Supernumerary |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 12, 1909 |
| Died | August 18, 1974 (aged 64) |
| Education | Beda College, Rome |
| Styles of Charles Herman Vath | |
|---|---|
| Reference style | The Right Reverend |
| Spoken style | Monsignor |
| Informal style | Father |
Ordination history of Charles Herman Vath | |||||||||
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Charles Herman Vath, CBE, PA (Chinese: 華德中, 12 October 1909 - 18 August 1975) was a German Roman Catholic priest of the Diocese of Hong Kong who has served as the chief executive of Caritas Hong Kong from 1958 to 1967. He was the founder of Caritas Hong Kong[1].and played an important role in the development of refugee assistance and advocacy for Vietnamese boat people in Hong Kong.[2]
Biography
[edit]Early life
[edit]Vath was born on 12 October 1909 in Niederlahnstein, Rhineland, Germany to a Jewish family. His father and grandfather were sculptors.[1]: 525 His mother, nee Cohen, was Jewish and a leading member of the Centrum, a Roman Catholic political party that played a part in German affairs in pre-Nazi Germany.[3] He was the first child and had three sisters and one brother. His father died when he was nine, so his grandmother and aunt began caring for him while his mother took up jobs.[1]: 525
Career
[edit]Vath moved to the US for work in his twenties before venturing to China in the late 1920s in a group of nine teens. He arrived at Canton.[1]: 526 He prospered, rising high in the great German firm of Bayer’s, working in Shanghai, Canton and other places in China. In Shanghai and Canton he was outstanding as a hard-working members of whatever parish he belonged.[3][4]
In 1948, he resigned his business post and entered the Pontifical Beda College in Rome, where he became the third youngest seminarian in Beda College.[1]: 529 He was ordained on 8 March 1952 in the Archbasilica of St. John Lataran and he was incardinated to the Diocese of Hong Kong.[citation needed] From 1953, he became the secretary general of Catholic Social Welfare Office of the diocese until 1969.[1]: 533 In 1958, the office became an member of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service; and in 1962, it became Caritas Organization (now Caritas Hong Kong).[1]: 533 Thus, he was also known as the founder of Caritas Hong Kong.
In 1958, Vath was appointed the chief executive and chairman of Caritas Hong Kong, until his resignation on 1967. Alongside his appointment in Caritas, Vath also serves the Catholic Centre as director and president from 1953 to 1965.[4] In 1959, Vath established the German Catholic community in Hong Kong, which became known as the "German-speaking Catholic Congregation Hong Kong".[5]: 157
In 1961, he presented a report on Hong Kong refugees to a secular organization and advocated for their rights internationally.[2] Same year, Pope John XXIII appoints Vath as Domestic Prelate, with the title of Monsignor. Three years later, he was elevated to the rank of Protonotary Apostolic Supernumerary.[6][7][8] Then in 1970, Vath was awarded the Commander of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II.[3]
Personal life and death
[edit]His grandfather and mother were both Jewish. And his grandfather was converted Christian in 1841.[1]: 525-526
Vath died on 18 August 1974 at his residence at Bonn, Germany, he was 64.[3]
Memorial
[edit]A secondary school located in Tung Chung, Hong Kong, Caritas Charles Vath College, was named in his honour.
See also
[edit]Reference
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Sau, Joyce Han-chang (2021). "Monsignor Charles Herman Vath, Founder of Caritas Hong Kong". Conference Proceedings of the History of the Hong Kong Catholic Church in the 20th Century 二十世紀香港天主教會歷史研討會論文集 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Centre for Catholic Studies, CUHK. ISBN 978-988-79920-4-2.
- 1 2 "Beyond law: How the Catholic Church reimagined refugees". Union of Catholic Asian News. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- 1 2 3 4 "華德中蒙席". archives.catholic.org.hk. Archived from the original on 2024-07-23. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
- 1 2 "70 year Milestones". Caritas Hong Kong.
- ↑ Proceedings of the Second Conference on the History of the Hong Kong Catholic Church in the 20th Century 第二屆二十世紀香港天主教會歷史研討會論文集. Centre for Catholic Studies, CUHK. 2025. ISBN 978-988-79921-4-1.
- ↑ 公教報 (1961-01-27). "教廷獎掖功勛神長 本教區二位司鐸 榮膺侍從教卿銜" (PDF). 天主教在香港的起步與同行 (1841-1969) | 天主教香港教區檔案處.
- ↑ 公教報 (1967-09-08). "陳伯良副主教及華德中蒙席 對教會貢獻有功 蒙教宗頒賜榮銜" (PDF). 天主教在香港的起步與同行 (1841-1969) | 天主教香港教區檔案處.
- ↑ "Officials: U… – V…". gcatholic.org. Retrieved 2026-09-28.