St. Francis Xavier's College, Tai Kok Tsui

St. Francis Xavier's College (SFXC; Chinese: 聖芳濟書院 or 聖芳濟 in short) is a Catholic secondary school for boys run by the Marist Brothers, located in Tai Kok Tsui, Yau Tsim Mong District,[1] Kowloon, Hong Kong. The school in Kowloon was founded in 1955, having moved from Shanghai, China. Except for lessons in foreign languages and Chinese, most lessons are taught in English.

St. Francis Xavier's College
聖芳濟書院
Location
Map
45 Sycamore Street, Tai Kok Tsui


Coordinates22°19′32″N 114°09′47″E / 22.3255°N 114.1631°E / 22.3255; 114.1631
Information
TypeCatholic secondary
MottoLatin: Suaviter in Modo; Fortiter in Re
(Gentle In Manner; Resolute In Action)
Religious affiliation(s)Catholic
Established9 December 1955; 68 years ago (1955-12-09)
PrincipalLeung Man Fai
Faculty56
GenderBoys school
Enrollment700[citation needed]
LanguageEnglish, Chinese
Websitewww.sfxc.edu.hk
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese聖芳濟書院
Simplified Chinese圣芳济书院
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinShèng Fāngjì Shūyuàn
Yue: Cantonese
Jyutpingsing3 fong1 zai3 syu1 jyun6*2
The relationship between SFXC and Marist Brothers

History

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The school was founded by Jesuit Fathers in Shanghai in 1874, later in 1893 Marist Brothers were invited to teach in the college and took over full responsibility of it in 1895. Due to the religion policies of the Communist China, the Brothers were forced to leave Shanghai and moved to Hong Kong in 1949. The college was rebuilt and classes were resumed in Tai Kok Tsui at the junction of Maple Street and Sycamore Street (K.I.L. 6421) on 9 December 1955 and named St. Francis Xavier's College to emphasize the direct link with St. Francis Xavier's College, Shanghai.[2]

Location

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As of 2022 the school has 56 teachers.[3] The present principal is Mr. Leung Man Fai.[4]

Students usually call themselves Xaverians.

The school motto is "Gentle in Manner, Resolute in Action". (Latin: Suaviter in modo Fortiter in re; 溫良剛毅)

This school is one of the three in Hong Kong that allows students to wear different coloured sports shoes to school, which is its characteristic. There are only ten school regulations, and they mostly cover actions to be taken when regulations are broken.

Prayers

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Students usually offer a short prayer before classes or in morning assemblies with 'Our Father', and will usually end the prayer with:

Lead: Saint Marcellin Champagnat,
Answer: Pray for us;
Lead: Saint Francis Xavier,
Answer: Pray for us.

School badge

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Middle

The Cross represents Jesus and the Catholic faith. It also means God is in every SFX activity.

Above left

Marist Brothers logo.

Above Right

Book represent knowledge and oil lamp represent light.

Below Right

White and green means purity and hope. These colours are also the representing colour of the school.

Below Left

「SFX」represents St. Francis Xavier, the Patron Saint of the school

Below

School motto

  • Latin: Suaviter in modo Fortiter in re;
  • Chinese: 溫良剛毅;
  • English: Gentle in Manner, Resolute in Action[5]

School song

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Let us sing with jubilation,
A song of duty done:
A song of exaltation,
Of laurels fought and won:
Of many glorious years in store,
A song to sound from shore to shore:
They've carved out a name in the roll of fame:
The boys of St. Francis Xavier's.

Uplift our voices to proclaim,
And let the whole world heed:
In class, in the field, at work, at play,
St. Xavier's take the lead.
Yet not alone for worldly fame,
Success or honour, wealth or name;
For God and our Faith, first place we claim:
The boys of St. Francis Xavier's.

Then, vivat, crescat, floreat,
As the years go rolling on,
And we leave our books and our benches,
And schooltime-joys are gone;
Whatever our future days may bring,
Our Alma Mater's praise we'll sing,
And at her feet new laurels fling:
The boys of St. Francis Xavier's.

Notable alumni and staff

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Politics and civil service

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Business

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Medical

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Entertainment and mass media

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Education and academia

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Science

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  • Brother Octavius William Borrell, Marist brother who taught at the College, and who studied the flora of Shanghai in the 1940s and 1990s.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "District Council Constituency Boundaries - Yau Tsim Mong District" (PDF). Electoral Affairs Commission. Retrieved 23 April 2021. - School location indicated with its Chinese name: "聖芳濟書院"
  2. ^ "School History".
  3. ^ "St Francis Xavier College". School profile 2022-2022. p. 4. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  4. ^ "Basic Information". St Francis Xavier College.
  5. ^ Derivation of the school badge
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