Rev. COLLINS, John SJ
郭樂賢神父

助人助己的儲蓄互助社創辦人

「我有一個希望，希望傷殘人士能夠自食其力，不用依賴別人。

我有一個希望，希望窮苦人家能夠自給自足，不用債主臨門。」

五十年來，郭樂賢神父就是朝著這個目標勇往直前，他深信無論是貧窮還是傷殘人士，都要為未來作好準備，積穀防飢。

儲蓄互助社這個教人節儉儲蓄，在急需時不單可以助己亦可助人的組織，現在除了在堂區有不少分支外，外教人如警察、公務局、水務局、廉政公署等亦有分會成立。這個使不少人受惠的組織，原來郭神父也是創辦人之一。

六十年代，香港雖然有隸屬於左右派的工會，但郭神父覺得仍有成立互助組織的必要。因此找來本地人合作，籌組儲蓄互助社，教導人作家庭預算，積少成多；未雨綢繆之餘，又可以互相幫助，就無須借高利貸。一九六四年，第一個儲蓄互助社於深水.聖方濟各堂成立，發展至今天，分支已有四十個。

郭神父認為這樣有意義的組織，不應只惠及天主教徒，更應將其推廣開去。一九六八年，郭神父出任儲蓄互助社亞洲區秘書，因而有機會到各國進行宣傳活動。

為他最深刻的，是有一次到曼谷出席由儲蓄互助社舉行的講習班，由佛教僧人做東道，與會的包括天主教、回教、佛教、基督教，令他深深感受到不同宗教不一定會產生衝突；相反，只要有適當的渠道，不同宗教是可以彼此共融，聚集在一起，儲蓄互助社就是其中一個例子。

郭神父不單將時間及精神放在儲蓄互助社上，不少傷殘人士亦因香港復康會及傷殘復康聯會成立而受惠。其中亦花了郭神父不少心血。

他說「五十年代，無論醫生及病人都沒有復康的意識。當時我擔任痳瘋會的神師，其中很多病人在病發前都有一技之長，如木工、車衣、織.等，但得病後卻沒有人願意聘用，一身手藝也荒廢了。後來得到瑪利諾會神父的幫助，在樂富的徙置區設置了三個工場，讓他們自食其力。之後，因緣際遇，在推廣傷殘人士的製成品之餘，認識了一班志同道合的醫生，因而成立了復康會及傷殘復康聯會。」

郭神父一生之中，似乎都不斷將人的力量組織起來，從而推廣信念。一九七二年，他開始推廣另一個運動，教人如何面對挑戰，在惡劣環境中依賴自己。

這個名為 Christopher Movement的運動，目的是將基督帶給世人，因此學員稱為 Christopher，意思是 Christbearer。創辦人瑪利諾會神父 James Keller認為只要有信念，無論是基督徒與否都可以改變世界。因為每一個人與生俱來都有一個獨特的使命，藉著生活實踐，將基督的真理及愛帶給世人。

五個星期十堂的訓練，加上一年舉辦五次，不經不覺已有千多人完成課程。

郭神父認為「這是一個 Pre-evangelization的機會。雖然只直接講述福音，但是每星期透過一些小小的實踐，如向人微笑、寬恕別人等，其實已注入基督的精神。最高興是見到學員中得到改變」。縱使郭神父已八十三歲，應是退休的時候，但他仍樂此不疲，繼續這項有意義的工作。

苦苦耕耘了五十年，究竟郭神父的心血有沒有白費？無疑儲蓄互助社已經上了軌道，但香港人對傷殘人士的接納程度又改變了多少？歧視的聲音仍此起彼落，摒諸工作門外的事例仍屢見不鮮，是社會沒有改變，還是 ……。

公教報 1995年 2月 17日

Father John Collins, S.J. (1912-1997)

R.I.P.

Father John Collins SJ., died on 17 June 1997 at St. Joseph's Home for the Aged in Kowloon. He was 85 years old and a priest of the Society of Jesus for 53 years.

John Collins was born in Dublin, Ireland on 19 January 1912 and entered the Society of Jesus in 1929. After his novitiate he did his university and philosophical studies in Ireland and then left for Hong Kong, arriving in September 1937. He spent his first two years here studying Cantonese. He became a fluent speaker and read Chinese with ease. He spent a year teaching in Wah Yan College, Hong Kong.

In January 1939, while still a language student, he had a very significant experience, which greatly influenced the course of his life. He went with some other Jesuits to an area near the border to help look after 1500 refugees who had fled the advance of the Japanese army. This experience gave him a feeling for those in trouble and made him a patient, resourceful and well informed battler for a wide

variety of the sick, the poor and the dispossessed.

He learned then to recruit others to work with him in his activities on behalf of fairness and justice. Many of his recruits became loyal followers, trusted associates and close personal friends.

In 1940 Father Collins left Hong Kong for Australia where he studied theology and was ordained priest in 1944. A long voyage across the Pacific and the Atlantic in the last weeks of World War II brought him to Ireland when he finished his ecclesiastical studies.

He returned to Hong Kong in 1946 where, apart from two years of study and numerous trips abroad in the course of his work, he remained until his death. These two years of study brought him to London University for Chinese studies and to the Philippines and Fiji to observe the Credit Union movement.

Father Collins taught for several years in Wah Yan College, Hong Kong and Wah Yan College, Kowloon. He also devoted himself to pastoral work outside the schools.

Gradually, however, Father Collins began to move into the area of social work. He became deeply interested in the Credit Union and was a founder and permanent adviser of the Credit Union League of Hong Kong. He would probably regard his greatest achievement in this work as being able to distance himself gracefully from the day-to-day running of the League. The followers he inspired made the League a real Hong Kong body and had much to do with spreading the Credit Union

movement to other parts of the world.

By an almost parallel involvement Father Collins became one of the most practical advocates of the rights of the disabled to as normal a life as possible. He was a founder member of the Hong Kong Society for Rehabilitation. He was actively involved in the work of the St. Camillus Benevolent Association and held posts too numerous to mention in Local, Asian and international organisations for the disabled.

Father Collins was an internationally known expert on access and transport for the disabled. He advised Government in these two areas and strove to ensure that the disabled were given a chance to earn their living. He represented Hong Kong at many meetings overseas and received numerous awards in recognition of his work for the disabled.

In 1979 he became an MBE He was an executive committee member of the Hong Kong Council of Social Services and helped found the Educators' Social Action Committee. He was a director and instructor of the Hong Kong Centre of the Gabriel Richard Institute which trains young professionals in developing confidence.

Father Collins was an Advisory Committee member of the Red Cross a former chairman and member for twenty years of the Family Welfare Society and a chairman of the International Year of the Child Commission. He also helped to found SELA (Committee for the Development of Socio-Economic Life in Asia), and organisation for Jesuits engaged in socioeconomic work.

Father Collins made innumerable friends. Being a perfectionist and relentlessly hard worker he knew exactly what he was talking about in his chosen areas of work. He was dogged and intelligent campaign for those who did not have much power and influence. He worked to ensure that not only were those in difficulty helped, but that they learn to help themselves and others.

Because he was a fighter he no infrequently clashed with other. However, his dedication and sincerity probably led most of his sparring partners to forgive him for his pugnacity. He also knew when a battle was lost. He complained vigorously regrouped and tried another strategy.

Father Collins kept meticulous files. He was proud of them and the were a solace to him. He worked for as long as he could. Progressively health made it impossible for him sally forth to pursue his numerous causes. He spent the last months his life in retirement in hospital, Wah Yan College, Kowloon and with the Little Sisters of the Poor Ngauchiwan.

EXAMINER 29 June 1997

耶穌會郭樂賢神父

主懷安息

耶穌會會士郭樂賢神父於一九九七年六月十七日與世長辭。郭神父一九一二年一月十九日生於愛爾蘭都柏林，二九年加入耶穌會，三七年九月首次來港，四四年晉鐸，四六年重回香港。在港、九華仁書院任教多年，期間亦擔當牧民工作。

不過，郭神父漸漸把工作焦點移向社會工作，創立香港儲蓄互助社協會及成為它的永久顧問。他也是香港復康會的創會會員，並一手創辦聖嘉彌祿善會。

郭神父是國際公認的傷殘人士廣用和運輸專家。在這兩方面，他成為政府的顧問，確保傷殘人士享有就業的機會。他曾多次代表香港出席國際復康會議，在這方面屢獲嘉許。他於七九年獲頒英帝國員佐勳銜 (MBE)。

他是香港社會服務聯會的執行委員會成員，亦協助創辦教育人員社會行動委員會，同時也是香港嘉培理澤訓練中心的主任和導師，培養和發展年青專業人士的信心。

郭神父亦是香港紅十字會的諮詢委員會成員，並為家庭福利會會員達二十年之久，期間曾任該會主席。神父亦是國際兒童年委員會的主席。他又協助創辦了亞洲社會經濟促進會，提供耶穌會士參與社會經濟工作的機會。

郭神父在保存檔案紀錄方面是一絲不苟的。這一點令神父感到驕傲，而它們亦成為神父的慰藉。只要能夠的話，他便會不停工作。

因為健康日趨衰退，他最後的幾個月在醫院、九龍華仁書院和牛池灣的安貧小姊妹修院渡過。

公教報1997年 6月 22日

聖嘉彌祿善會

追悼郭樂賢神父逝世週年

耶穌會郭樂賢神父，於一九九七年六月十七日辭世至今一年，教區同人深表哀痛。尤其惦念郭神父畢生為傷殘人士權益維護的卓越貢獻。

聖嘉彌祿善會是其在世時創立，以傷殘人士自組、自助、互助，愛心關懷，共邁主途的理念而組成。

該會於六月廿一日下午三時正，在九龍橫頭磡宏孝樓地下會所內舉行追思彌撒，由神師余理謙神父主祭，郭年士神父共祭。禮儀中神父的講道及禮後眾信友的座談會，都緬懷和反思郭樂賢神父的傳教事業和服務社群的精神。

公教報1998年 7月 5日