Date : 01 Dec 2018
Brother Raphael Egan was born on 3rd December 1918 in County Laois, Ireland, and was baptized Patrick Joseph.
In October 1947, Bro. Raphael arrived at La Salle College where he taught the matriculation class. In 1950, at the relatively tender age of 32, he became a very youthful Director and Principal of St. Joseph’s College. After nine years of dedicated service at the helm of St Joseph’s, Brother Raphael was entrusted with a new challenge, which was to pioneer the Brothers’ first venture in Sabah, Malaysia. He was to spend the next thirteen years building up the Lasallian schools in Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan.
After being absent from La Salle College for 14 years, Brother Raphael returned in 1971. He was to be Principal for the following 12 years. In 1979, he was appointed Auxiliary Visitor to oversee the Lasallian mission in Hong Kong. Brother Raphael’s most memorable and daring undertaking was his proposal to demolish the original La Salle College building and build a new one. He had come to the conclusion that the old school, despite its majestic dome, was functionally inadequate. “In building this school we had in mind not 1979, but the year 2000” said Brother Raphael. In 1984, Brother Raphael reached mandatory retirement age and duly passed the baton to Brother Alphonsus Chee. He remained the Supervisor of the College until 1988.
Brother Raphael, accompanied by his cousin and confidante Mary Egan, returned to Ireland in 1990. Although he was thousands of miles away, his heart was with Hong Kong. He told his family, “If I feel alright, I want to return next month to Hong Kong which has 85% of me, of my heart and soul.” But it was not to be. On 24th July 1990, at 04:20, the great man left for heaven.
On 1st December 2018, we celebrate and remember this great principal of ours with a Remembrance Mass:
Venue: The School Chapel of La Salle College
Time: 5:00 to 6:00pm (Light refreshment will be served after mass)
All are welcome!