On Chinese New Year and Remembering Fr. Geitner
Dear Teachers and Students,
Today marks a good time and a bad time.
It marks a good time because it is the first day of school after Chinese New Year, a time to renew hopes and plans. It is a bad time as we mourn the sad loss of our beloved Fr. Geitner, who had led and served the school ever since he arrived Hong Kong in 1960.
Each New Year brings a new sense of renewal. Renewal of hope, renewal of goals, and renewal of inspiration. It is a time to start afresh, to start strong, and a new chance to do everything we want to do anew. The school would like to urge all teachers and students to do this renewal together, with new inspirations. Hence we have made new arrangements for the morning assembly line up, hoping that you will see better, hear better and feel more involved with all that are said and done on the stage. It is the school’s earnest wish, and I am sure that of Fr. Geitner’s too, that as we start a New Year, we will renew our sense of belonging to the school, so that standing united with the goal to reach the highest goal possible in spiritual formation and academic achievements, we can be stronger and more successful.
We are solemnly pensive today as we remember Fr. Geitner, the immediate successor to our founder Fr. Reily. Fr. Geitner had dedicated the entire 90 years of his life to serve God – as a priest and as an educator. It would not be easy to follow the giant gaits he had trekked in the past 58 years. We will dearly miss his wisdom and guidance, his dedication and creativity with teaching science, and his kind and caring mentorship for us all.
Thankfully, Fr. Geitner had laid a solid foundation for us to build on. As we grieve over his departure, we should work harder to fulfill his wishes to bring the school to continuous new heights, and to love and serve.
As we mourn the sad passing of our respected forefathers, we are to renew our goals and plans for the future so that we will continue their missionary spirit to preach love, humanity and faith, and to serve society. May the New Year of the Dog bring us new opportunities to grow and be successful, for a more purposeful and fruitful life. Happy New Year to you and your family.
May God’s peace and blessings be with you always.
Agnes G. Yeh
Supervisor
February 26, 2018