Rev. Brother Patrick Tierney F.S.C. (1942 – now)
Principal and Supervisor of St. Joseph’s College (1974 – 1986)
Director of La Salle College Community (1990 – 2019)
Supervisor of La Salle Primary School (1990 – now)
The Ninth Principal of La Salle College (1998 – 2000)
Supervisor of La Salle College (2006 – 2019)
Director of the Hong Kong Lasallian Family
Auxiliary Visitor of the Lasallian East Asia District (LEAD) 2019 –
Brother Patrick was born on 4th December 1942 in Ireland into a family of 7 sons and 5 daughters. He studied in a primary school run by the De La Salle Brothers at his hometown. When he was asked why he joined the Order, Brother Patrick joked. "In the early 1950's, life was tough and there were few chances to play games. All the boys craved an opportunity to play football. But the only people that possessed footballs were the Brothers! I was also attracted perhaps by the fact that I thought the Brothers got better food than I." There was also the fact that his eldest brother had become a La Salle Brother already. When a Brother recruiter asked for volunteers to join the Order, he simply put up his hand. A visit to his parents was made by the Brother, their consent obtained and that was that. He joined the Order in 1955. He studied in the formation centres of Brothers and then finished his O and A levels in England. Afterwards, he entered the Teacher Training College in Manchester.
In 1964, Brother Patrick, together with Brother Thomas Favier, was posted to St. Joseph's College, Hong Kong and stayed with the school till 1990. He was the Principal of St. Joseph's College, Hong Kong from 1974 to 1986. In 1975 he presided over the Centenary celebrations both of St. Joseph's College and of the arrival of the Brothers in Hong Kong. When he stepped down as principal he followed a two year course in Cantonese at the Chinese University. In 1990 he was transferred to La Salle College, Kowloon where he did some teaching and was Director of the Brother's Community. In 1998, he became the Ninth Principal of La Salle College. In the same year, the College was recognized as one of the 114 schools that were qualified to continue with the use of English as the medium of instruction (EMI). Dennis C.Y. Ho (2002) of the UK Chapter, LSCOBA shared with us: "In my final two years at La Salle College, Brother Patrick became the principal as well as the supervisor. He was a friendly leader but also a busy man. He chaired the Third Asia Pacific Lasallian Educators' Congress (APLEC) held in Hong Kong in 1998. He wrote many Catholic articles. He introduced "Day by Day" - extracts from the writings of St. John Baptist de La Salle to our classes. It contains spiritual formation, classroom behaviour, stories of saints, biblical quotes, etc. It was a pity that I never had the opportunity of being taught by any Christian Brothers."
In 1999, Brother Patrick set up the Information Technology Management Team. The LAN of ED3 and Multi-media Learning Centre were completed in 2002.
Before the turn of the millennium, Brother Patrick organized a Millennium Photo Taking on 21st December 1999 at La Salle. A total of 690 students stood on the school field and formed the characters of LSC 2000.
The year 2000 was fruitful. Brother Patrick led the celebration of the 125th Anniversary of the coming of the De La Salle Brothers to Hong Kong and the 100th Anniversary of the Canonization of St. John Baptist de La Salle and the 50th Anniversary of Declaration of St. John Baptist de La Salle as the "Patron of all Teachers". On 17th April 2000, the Jubilee Feast Day Mass was held on the school field of La Salle College with Bishop Joseph Zen Ze-Kiun S.D.B. as the chief celebrant.
The year 2000 also saw the La Salle boys shine in the HKCEE 2000 public examination. They scored a record of 477 A's. In the same year Brother Patrick launched the redevelopment of La Salle Primary school. The new school building was completed in 2002 and possesses a large auditorium cum gymnasium, a 25-M indoor swimming pool, a striking chapel and a spacious playground.
Upon his retirement as school principal in 2000, he concentrates, as Sector leader, on co-ordinating the activities of the Hong Kong Lasallian Family. He also has a large interest in preserving Lasallian heritage. In addition, he goes in for publications of a religious and Lasallian character. For the last several years, and with the assistance of Paul Tam, he produces a Hong Kong Lasallian Family magazine entitled "The Gateway." It is issued in both electronic and hard copy formats. In addition, he was Supervisor of La Salle College from 2006 to 2019 and is still currently Supervisor of La Salle Primary School, school manager of De La Salle Secondary School, N.T., Chan Sui Ki (La Salle) College and Chan Sui Ki (La Salle) Primary School. As he says himself, all this activity keeps him out of mischief.
In 2019, he was appointed Auxiliary Visitor of the Lasallian East Asia District (LEAD).
Rev. Brother Thomas Lavin F.S.C. (1943 - now)
The Tenth Principal of La Salle College
Supervisor of La Salle College (2000 – 2006; 2019 -)
Former Visitor of the Penang District
Former Auxiliary Visitor of LEAD
Brother Thomas was born on 16th June 1943 in Country Roscommon, Ireland. He studied in a local school run by the Christian Brothers. He joined the Order at the age of 14. In 1960, he left for England to complete his secondary education. Brother Thomas entered De La Salle College of Education in Manchester, UK in 1962. He completed his training in 1965.
He arrived in La Salle College, Hong Kong, in August 1965. He was the Sports Master, and taught English, Religious Studies and Mathematics. In 1969, he left for Dublin for university studies. He obtained a Master's Degree in Economics. He returned to La Salle College in 1973 and stayed until 1982. It was during this period that he worked hand in hand with Brother Raphael and Brother Alphonsus in planning for and designing the new school building. It was Brother Thomas, who designed all the sports facilities of the new school building - the track-and-field, the swimming pool, the indoor gymnasium, etc.
Brother Thomas pursued a Master's Degree in Education from the University of Manchester in 1982 - 1983. He was transferred to Nigeria in 1984. During his 14 years in Nigeria, thousands of students benefited from his teaching and guidance and leadership.
In September 1998, he visited Hong Kong and then left for Chicago for study courses. In 1999, he returned to La Salle College and became the Tenth Principal of the College in 2000.
Brother Thomas is always active. He can run several projects at the same time smoothly. He maintains good communication with all parties concerned, be it student, old boy, teacher, parent or minor staff. His door is always open and everyone is greeted with a big smile.
Brother Thomas gave a sense of direction to the school during his years at the helm. Unity among staff, student, old boys and parents was upheld. Academic results were superb. The Class of 2003 scored 501'A in the HKCEE, a record in the Hong Kong education. The Christian Brothers in the USA have a program called "No Child Left Behind". It is a project that aims to help weak and average students. Brother Thomas, with the help of the teaching staff, implemented similar programmes in La Salle College. Hence, the elite shine and the weak grow. In terms of achievements in sports, La Salle College retained the Omega Rosa Bowl and won the First Bauhinia Bowl.
Brother Thomas led the community in celebrating the 70th Anniversary of La Salle College. The Thanks-giving Mass was celebrated in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on 12th October 2001 with Cardinal John Baptist Wu as the chief celebrant. There were five other concelebrants, two of which were old boys. About 1500 students, old boys, staff, parents and guests attended the Mass. An Open Day and Fun Fair were held on 2nd and 3rd February 2002. On 23rd March 2002, the 70th Anniversary Dinner was held. The whole-year-round celebration was closed with a musical concert and play on 28th and 29th June 2002. To the delight of the school community, in 2002, La Salle College was named as a "Thriving School" in the Quality Assurance Inspection by the Hong Kong Government.
Brother Thomas is a man of vision. He wanted La Salle boys to be all-rounders. Religious activities and cultural activities were encouraged. In order to bring the school to a new horizon, the School Improvement Project (SIP) was launched in 2002. Two new wings were added overlooking the swimming pool. They provide extra facilities for Information Technology, music and cultural activities and staff development. The SIP was completed in 2005 and officially opened by the Secretary for Education, Mr. Arthur Li, in 2006.
As of 2019 he became the Supervisor of La Salle College and is also the manager of La Salle Primary School and Chan Sui Ki (La Salle) Primary School.
Rev. Brother Lawrence Blake F.S.C.(1929 - now)
Principal of Chong Gene Hang College(1979-1990)
Principal of Chan Sui Ki (La Salle) College (1990-1995)
Supervisor of Chan Sui Ki (La Salle) College (1990-2010)
Brother Lawrence was born on the 1st December, 1929, in Co. Laois, Ireland. He is the blood brother of Brother Mark. He ranks number 9 among seven brothers and four sisters.
He joined the De La Salle Brothers in 1943. After the usual formation and study courses he was sent to England for Teacher Training at St Mary's College, Twickenham, London, from 1949 to 1951. Brother Lawrence takes up the story himself.
"Ireland is my homeland. It's so green and beautiful that it's called the Emerald Isle. It's a land of fertile plains, rolling mountains, many lakes, beautiful beaches and craggy headlands.
I had my early education In Ireland. At the age of 19, I went to London for teacher training. I came to Hong Kong in 1958 and taught in La Salle College until 1963 when I went back to Ireland for further studies. Later I went to Malaysia, Singapore and Borneo to teach. In 1975 I returned to Hong Kong and taught in St. Joseph's College. In 1979, Brother Brendan, the Principal of Chong Gene Hang College, retired and I was appointed to take his place.
In my student days and for many years afterwards I liked to play games, such as Gaelic football and tennis. I also loved gardening but now there is little opportunity for it.
Reading is my hobby now. I like to read novels, especially historical novels. I also enjoy walking and travelling.
In general, the students of Chong Gene Hang College are friendly and co-operative. Some are very intelligent and hardworking. Others are easy-going and difficult to motivate. The school is quite successful in extra-curricular activities.
We need to strengthen moral education and education for democracy. We need to become 'democratic people.' Establishing a Students' Union in the school could help in this process. The students' movement for democracy in China (1989) impressed the whole world but its brutal suppression and the white terror that followed has horrified people everywhere. The innate yearning for freedom cannot be denied forever.
The teachers in Chong Gene Hang are devoted, tolerant and hardworking. I am greatly edified by the amount of time, energy and patience they give to their students. Many sacrifice their lunch break to help the students."
After eleven years at the helm of Chong Gene Hang College, Brother Lawrence was assigned as Principal to Chan Sui Ki (La Salle) College in 1990 and remained as Principal until his retirement in 1995. He continued on as Supervisor of the school until 2010.
He is now retired and lives in La Salle College, Kowloon. Currently, he needs some health care because he suffered a minor stroke and has difficulty walking. He goes for physiotherapy treatment regularly every week.
Brother Lawrence is the tallest La Salle Brother in Hong Kong, a definite asset in his tennis-playing days.
BROTHER JEFFREY CHAN, F.S.C.
Supervisor of St. Joseph's College
Brother Jeffrey Chan was born into a typical Cantonese family in Singapore. His Chinese name is 陳國強. He is the third child in a family of five brothers and sisters. The Lasallian story of Brother Jeffrey Chan started in 1974 when he had his primary education at the De La Salle School in Singapore. He finished his GCE 'O' Level at St. Joseph's Institution, the first Lasallian school in the Asia-Pacific region, in 1983, and the GCE 'A' Level in 1985 at St. Andrew's Junior College.
All male Singaporean citizens and second-generation permanent residents who have reached the age of 18 are enrolled into military service, Brother Jeff was no exception. He joined the National Service (NS) in 1988 and served as a Lieutenant until 1990. He continued his tertiary education after national service at the National University of Singapore (Bachelor of Arts) and the National Institute of Education (Postgraduate Diploma in Education).
Brother Jeff's teaching career started in 1994 when he was posted to De La Salle Primary School, his alma mater. He took the posts of Prefect Master and the Head-of-Department of IT in 1996 and 1998 respectively.
According to Brother Jeff, the catalyst for joining the Brothers took place at the Asia Pacific Lasallian Educators' Congress held in Hong Kong in 1998. He liked what he saw and heard and committed himself to the life of an educator.
In June 1999, Brother Jeff resigned from his teaching duties in Singapore and joined the De La Salle Brothers Novitiate in the Philippines. He had his first Religious Profession on 20 May 2001. He then continued his religious studies in the Philippines while at the same time teaching in La Salle Greenhills in Manila. He was posted to St. Stephen's Primary School, a Lasallian school, when he returned to Singapore in July 2002. Apart from being the Prefect Master and the School Coordinating Mentor, he was also the Discipline Master for the Upper Levels.
In February 2010, Brother Jeff was assigned to Hong Kong, to teach in La Salle College and to be of service to the Lasallian Family generally. Not only was receiving an extra Brother a boon to Hong Kong but the fact that he could speak Cantonese was an added bonus. He taught Religious Studies and Integrated Humanities at La Salle College, was a member of the Discipline Board and also took care of the Lasallian Youth and a praesidium of the Legion of Mary.
Then, in August 2012, he was transferred to St. Joseph's College on Hong KongIsland where his presence was needed both at the Brother's Community level and in the school. In fact he has recently become Supervisor of the school, while continuing to help the Lasallian Family generally by means of formation presentations and advice.
Rev. Brother David Liao
Brother David Liao came from a family of educators. His father was a Headmaster of a Chinese Secondary school while his mother was a Headmistress of a Chinese Primary school. His father was later called home to take over his grandfather's business when his grandfather died. "I wanted to complete my father's career as an educator," he reminisced. Brother David Liao is the fourth in a family of six. He is a very outdoors person, loves sports and played most games when he was a student at St. Michael's Institution, Ipoh, Malaysia.
Lasallian students from Malaysia will no doubt have had personal contact with him or have heard of him as he has served widely in a number of schools there.
Brother David recalled that he joined the Brothers' junior training programme in Penang in 1962 and entered the Brothers' Novitiate in January 1964. He was elected Brother Visitor of the Penang District in 1990 and served for nine years till 1999 in this capacity. He took a year's sabbatical in 2001.
When asked what he thought was the most memorable incident in his life, he reflected before replying:
"The most memorable incident in my life so far was the day in October 1985 when Brother Matthew Liew, Brother Visitor at that time, visited our community in La Salle School Klang. He told me that he had decided to assign me as Novice Master in charge of the training of young Brothers at St. Joseph's College, Kelawei Road, Penang. It spelled the end of my school career but more importantly, it meant that I had only 15 years developing my network of "old boys". I was not even fully 40 years old then. Today, as I look back, I am very thankful to Brother Matthew Liew for insisting that I take on the assignment as Novice Master."
With the handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997, it was natural that the Hong Kong Lasallian Family should embark on an initiative to undertake a gratuitous Out-Reach Mission in a rural setting in mainland China.
In 2001, with the blessing of the Asia-Pacific Lasallian Region, Brother David was assigned to make the attempt to establish this foundation. He reported to Hong Kong in March 2001 and started learning Putonghua. A series of events led him to Changjiao, his ancestral village in 2001. At the invitation of the village elders and leaders he started teaching English in 2002 at Changjiao's Primary School. The first two years were difficult. There were many misunderstandings and he finally moved out of Changjiao Primary School to teach in his nephew's house in 2004. He rebuilt his grandfather's house in 2005 to cater to fast-growing demand for admission.
The name La Salle Study Centre (LSSC) was officially used for the first time on Easter Monday, 17th April 2006. It will always be remembered by all in Changjiao as the day Liao Laoshi's mysterious La Salle Hui Guan Tong Shi (roughly translated as Lasallian Family members) finally turned up. Brother David always reminds them that it is through the support of La Salle Hui Guan that he is able to run LSSC gratuitously. The visit of the Old Boys Association of La Salle College Hong Kong greatly enhanced the credibility and reputation of LSSC. The villagers welcomed the guests with the traditional drums and gong.
A notable landmark event was in September 2008 when the County of Dabu granted official recognition of the educational service rendered by LSSC in uplifting the standard of English in Dabu by honouring Brother David with the Dabu County Award of Prominent Person in Public Service. LSSC is officially recorded in Dabu government website and has been featured twice on Dabu TV in 2008 and appeared in Guangzhou Yang Cheng Wan Bao [5th Aug 2008] and Meizhou Ming Bao [7th Aug 2008].
LSSC is widely acknowledged as an effective English Learning Centre in Dabu. Its Annual Summer English Reading Programme attracts students from many parts of Guangdong and Fujian and even as far north as Heilongjiang. The demand far exceeds the 450 students accepted each summer. LSSC's weekend English classes are always in high demand and well attended.
Brother David continues to work for the educational well-being of students in China. He has received a number of local and national awards for his work.Brother Dennis Magbanua
Brother Dennis was born in the Philippines in 1969. He has had a varied and interesting life, both as a teacher and educational administrator. His most recent posting, before coming to Hong Kong, was as Vice Chancellor of the University College of St. Benilde in Manila.
In Hong Kong, Brother Dennis has taken over as Director of the La Salle Brothers Community in Kowloon. He is also giving a hand to De La Salle Secondary School, NT.
Brother Dennis is much into IT. Some people in the Philippines call him Mr. Apple! He is also keen on sports like basketball and badminton and frisbee.
Brother Michael Cua
Brother Michael comes from the Philippines and was born in 1984. Like Brother Dennis, he is interested in cyber technology. Since Brother Michael is of Chinese origin, he is also interested in learning the Chinese language.
Currently he is the Chief Information Officer for the Lasallian East Asia District (LEAD) and is also giving a hand to both Chan Sui Ki (La Salle) College and Chan Sui Ki (La Salle) Primary School.
Brother Jude Lourdhu Dasan
Brother Jude was born in India in 1985. We are fortunate that he was sent to us as a replacement for Brother Chris Soosai.
Before coming to Hong Kong, Brother Jude was a full-time teacher, especially of Mathematics and Religious Studies. Now he has been assigned to La Salle College, Kowloon.
Brother Jude is quite tall and a keen sportsman, being particularly skilled at volleyball and basketball.