Her parents are from Canton and Sun Wui, China. They are both staunch traditional Buddhists and have a prosperous life under the Ch’ing Dynasty. At the end of that era, they move to Hong Kong and raise a family of six children. Their first born is a premature baby named Ka-Lok (goodness).

by Claudette Bouchard, m.i.c.

During her childhood years, Ka-Lok learns about her ancestors. At home, there is an ancestral shrine where the family worships and offers incense to the deceased. With her family, Ka-Lok visits the Buddhist temples regularly and she learns about the teachings of the Buddha. Dharma as it is called teaches that all suffering arises from attachment, particularly those that are from worldly desires.

The parents have a dream for their eldest child: that she be well educated and taught in the English language. They enroll Ka-Lok at St. Mary’s Catholic School under the direction of the Canossian Sisters. In this milieu she hears about God and in her young mind she tries to make connections. She describes it as follows: When my teachers would speak about the One God, I gradually would come to understand that Buddha with all my ancestors are the saints of God.

GOD’S CALLING IS HEARD

As years unfold, Ka-Lok’s heart becomes attentive to God’s calling. She wants to be baptized and welcomed into the family of God. She relates: For a long time, my wish to be baptized is kept a secret until a friend of mine discloses it to my parents. Shocked, perplexed, deeply hurt, they cannot understand my thinking, my choice, my decision. Nevertheless, at age 16, I pursue my plan without their consent. On Christmas Eve 1948, at the Holy Rosary Church in Hong-Kong, a Catholic teacher stands by me, witnessing my Baptism. My patron saint’s name would be Magdalena in honour of Magdalen Canossa, Foundress of the Canossian Religious Community.

As a young neophyte, Magdalena continues her education under the guidance of the Canossian Sisters. Inspired by their good examples, she once again hears God’s calling: to follow Him in the narrow path. Though active in school projects, she cannot shun the inner voice. Wisely, she consults her spiritual director whose advice comes as a surprise: Since you are the eldest of six children, you have a duty toward your family, they need your help, therefore, you must wait and be a support to them.

A CONTACT WITH THE MICS

As a qualified teacher, Magdalena teaches in schools run by the Canossian Sisters. She is also a member of the Legion of Mary, an apostolic organization of lay people in the Catholic Church whose members endorse a balanced program of prayer and service, reaching out to those in need. Magdalena is assigned to introduce this organization to the teachers and students of Good Hope School.This is where she meets, for the first time, the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception.

This Marian Missionary Community whose motto is “May the Immaculate Virgin Be Known from Pole to Pole” leaves Magdalena with a desire to know more about this religious missionary group. Her calling to follow Jesus on the narrow path keeps persisting; in 1958 she decides to leave all and become an aspirant in this Marian Community. She once again has to inform her parents of this decision. Upon hearing that I want to become a religious, my father’s reply is sincere and soothing: I trust your decision. Remember your home, here, will always be your home. I hope you will not leave Hong-Kong.

But Magdalena does leave Hong-Kong; she is sent to the Philippines for her religious training at the novitiate. However, upon entering the MIC Community she hangs-on to a motto that is life-giving: Yes, Father, I want to do Your Will. For six years there are no phone calls, no family visits. In 1962 upon taking her first vows, Magdalena has to choose a religious name. This time she thinks of her mother and father; in her heart she wishes they would also come to believe in the One True God. With this in mind, she is inspired to call upon Mary and Joseph to be their guide; she explains: For the salvation of all my family members, I take the name of Maria for my mother and Joseph for my father.

In 1973, Sr.Maria-Joseph’s wish comes true. Her dying father asks to be baptized and seven years later, her ailing mother is also received into God’s family as a baptized Catholic. The Lord is so good! exclaims Sr. Maria-Joseph (whose civil name is now Sr. Magdalena Leung).

Throughout her missionary years, Sr. Magadalena has realized that with God all is possible. Whether in Hong-Kong, in San Francisco, in Vancouver, in Montreal, wherever the Lord leads her, she is convinced that the One God she has come to know, love and trust is at work in the heart of her people. Apart from teaching French and English to the day care personnel at the Chinese Catholic Mission in Montreal, she now joyfully treads the streets to meet young and old alike, sharing with them the spiritual insights that dwell within her heart. Her prayer is an expression of her deepest aspirations:

MIC MISSION NEWS
APRIL - MAY - JUNE 2007

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