A file relating to correspondence between the Irish Province and the Provincial of the Portuguese Province. The file relates to the Portuguese Mission in Macao and the Portuguese Provincial's wish that the Irish Province take over the Jesuit institutions in the Macao Diocese and to accept the mission territory at present cared for by the Portuguese Province.

Many Jesuit Provinces had missions in China before 1926 when the Vicar Apostolic of Hong Kong, Fr Henry Valtorta (1883-1953), invited the Irish Jesuits to his vicariate. In October 1926, Frs George Byrne (1879-1962) and John Neary (1889-1983) left Dublin for Hong Kong, which became a Mission for the Irish Province. They were joined, in early 1927, by Fr Daniel Finn (1886-1936) from Australia and later by Frs Richard Gallagher (1887-1960), Patrick Joy (1892-1970) and Daniel MacDonald (1891-1957).

The initial work of the mission concentrated in Hong Kong, with some teaching in Canton and Macao. Their works involved: reviving the Catholic journal, ‘The Rock’; the opening of a hostel (Ricci Hall) for Chinese Catholic students at the University of Hong Kong (1929-); their involvement in the Regional Seminary, Aberdeen, Hong Kong (1931-1964), Wah Yan College, Hong Kong (1932-) and Wah Yan College, Kowloon (1952-). Some lecturing occurred in the university, in areas such as archaeology, education, engineering, and geography. In Canton, Frs Michael Saul (1884-1932) and Joseph McCullough (1892-1932) died from cholera. Hong Kong was under Japanese occupation 1941 - 1945. The Irish Jesuits organised a school for refugees from Hong Kong in Macao and the Regional Seminary was also moved to Macao. Wah Yan College was closed in 1941 and reopened in 1945. Fr Thomas Ryan’s account “Jesuits under Fire in the siege of Hong Kong 1941” deals fully with this time.

After World War Two, the Irish Jesuits established a language school, student centre and parish in Canton. They were expelled by the Communists in [1953]. Wah Yan College grew and developed and further works included the foundation of a university hostel at Kingsmead Hall, Singapore and at Xavier Hall, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia. Other works of note that Irish Jesuits had a hand in establishing and running in Hong Kong include: the Hong Kong Housing Society (1938); Wah Yan Relief Association (1938); Shoeshine Boys Club (1952-1962); the Credit Union Movement (1962); Rehabilitation Centre for the Handicapped (1962); Catholic Marriage Advisory Council (1963); Road Safety Association for Schools (1964); Industrial Relations Institute (1968); Chinese Opera in English (1960s); Fisherman’s Children School (1960s) and Welfare for Police in the Training School. In 1966, Hong Kong became a Jesuit Vice-Province and in 1985, the Province of Macau-Hong Kong was established. Today, Hong Kong is a unit within the Chinese Jesuit Province.

Over a hundred Irish Jesuits have served in Hong Kong, China, Malaysia and Singapore - 30 of whom are buried in St. Michael’s Cemetery in Hong Kong and two in mainland China.

Letter from Fr Thomas Cahill SJ, College of St Joseph, Macao, to Fr Stephen Farrell SJ, St Ignatius College, Galway. Refers to two unanswered letters sent to Fr Michael Bellew SJ, and asks Fr Farrell to inquire into the matter. Expresses concern in relation to the fate of money sent to him for the purchase of certain articles, and explains that if he not able to account for the money, the Society will be thought ill of.

A file of letters and telegrams from the Superior of the mission, Fr Patrick Joy SJ to Irish Fr Provincial.

A file of letters from Fr Thomas Cahill SJ (Superior of the Mission 1872-79) to Irish Fr Provincial concerning his life and work in Australia. Includes a letter written from Macao, China concerning the expulsion of the Society from the colony due '...to the hostility of a newly appointed Administrator of the diocese. He's the chief author of a new code of rules for his seminary one of which excludes foreigners.' Continues '...I am to go to Australia.' (20 July 1871, 4pp) Includes a letter referring to the laying of the foundation stone of St Francis Xavier, Melbourne on 8 December 1872. Refers to the passing of the Education Bill. Remarks 'The Bill establishes compulsory free and secular education Catholics cannot therefor accept it...' (2 January 1873, 6pp). Includes a letter confirming his appointment as acting superior of St Patrick's College (21 May 1873, 4pp). Includes a letter concerning the provision of education for the poor and the possibility of the Christian Brothers and the Sacred Heart Sisters establishing such schools in the Richmond Mission (10 September 1873, 4pp). Includes a letter referring to the erection of a wooden house at Kew to establish a school for the sixty Catholic children in Kew (10 August 1874, 3pp). Includes a letter referring to the building of Kew College. Remarks that work has been stopped because the tenders were far higher than expected. Refers to the opening of St John's College in Sydney. Remarks '(The)...college was opened with great eclat by Dr. Vaughan last week. This college under him will be a formidable rival.' (19 April 1875, 6pp). Includes a letter referring to Fr Dalton and a story concerning him and his endeavours on the part of two children whom he promised (to their dying Mother) to see reared as Catholics. Remarks that the incident has attracted a lot of publicity and that a question will be asked in Parliament on the subject. (12 July 1875, 4pp). Includes a letter referring to Dr Moran, Bishop of Dunedin, New Zealand and his invitation to the Society to set up a college at Dunedin (14 November 1876, 3pp). Includes a letter referring to a meeting with the recently appointed Archbishop of Sydney who offered an invitation to the Society to establish a Mission in Sydney (10 March 1877, 7pp).

A file of letters from various individuals living and working in Hong Kong to Irish Fr Provincial concerning their work in the Hong Kong mission.

Letters to the Irish Provincial on various matters. Includes letters concerning financial matters and;
– a complaint about an individual Jesuit with regard to his behaviour while conducting a retreat for nuns (See also ADMN/3/36);
– a draft deed of trust for the Father Delany Exhibition (See also ADMN/3/13);
– the health and financial affairs of various scholastics;
– the proposal for the establishment of a [school] at Tullabeg by the Society of Pious Missions;
– a conference of Jesuit Fathers in Chicago for the purpose of adopting a Provisional Constitution of the ‘Frequent Communion Guild’;
– requests for money from various individuals;
– the campaign to appoint a Catholic Director to the Board of Directors of the Clogher Valley Railway (the Society are shareholders in the Railway);
– the appointment of Jesuits to various offices;
– a petition to the British government ‘to show mercy to Roger Casement’;
– a proposed portrait of Archbishop Walsh by Sir John Lavery;
– a profit and loss account of the Irish Monthly for year ending 31 August 1914 (See also ADMN/3/20; 66; 67);
– the work of St. Joseph's Young Priests (See also ADMN/3/53);
– lists of locations of Retreats and names of priests giving Retreats for 1912 and 1913 (See also ADMN/3/36; 41);
– suggestions for Retreats given by Jesuits, by Dr Patrick Foley, Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin (1896-1926) and memorandum on the scheme to establish a small lending library in Milltown Park for priests (See also ADMN/3/12; 38).

A file relating to the fate of the Irish Jesuit priests working in Hong Kong during the Second World War and the Japanese occupation of the city. Includes returned letters to Irish Fr Provincial marked 'No Service Return to Sender'. Includes letters from family members asking for news or reporting to Irish Fr Provincial on letters received by them. Includes letters from other individuals seeking news about non Jesuit family members. Includes a copy of a request by Irish Fr Provincial John R. MacMahon SJ to Joseph P. Walshe, Department of External Affairs seeking help in assisting four Jesuit students to return home to Ireland (23 March 1943, 1p). Includes a reply stating that a proposed scheme to exchange civilian internees applies only to British or Allied subjects (12 May 1943, 1p). Includes a memorandum written by Fr Joy on Irish nationals in Hong Kong. The memorandum was sent by Irish Fr Provincial to the Irish Red Cross (24 October 1942, 2pp). Includes letters concerning Irish Jesuits who left Hong Kong to live and work in India during the war and subsequent return to Hong Kong when the war was over. Includes 'A Priest in a Japanese Jail' by Fr Gerard Casey SJ (1948)