In many ways, Brother Thomas was an extraordinary missionary. Perhaps the most extraordinary aspect is that his first assignment was to St. Joseph’s College, Hong Kong, and there he remained to the end of his days. Fifty-three years of unbroken service to the same school is an achievement in itself. The Brothers used to joke that he had married his first love and remained faithful to her all his life.
Brother Thomas left home in 1955, immediately after Primary schooling, to join the Brothers formation houses. His was a large family and he remained attached to them all his life. At one point he wrote a short account of the life of his father. He never failed to pay short visits to his family whenever he was in the country. He would also pay visits to the families of other Brothers.
At the age of 18, he received the Habit of the Brothers and took first vows. That is 62 years ago and he never looked back. Brother Patrick Tierney had joined the Brothers at the same time and recalls:
“Throughout the years of formation, Brother Thomas was quiet, respectful and a good companion. I never heard him utter an unkind word and never saw him take advantage of a weaker person. He studied diligently, without fuss, and did well in examinations.”
During the spiritual formation year, called the Novitiate, there was a call for missionary Brothers to the Far East. A number of novices raised their hands. Brother Thomas was among six chosen. The decision meant there would be many changes in his life.
The first major change was that the prospective missionary had to leave his native land for further studies in England. O and A Level exams were taken at St. John’s College in Berkshire, a rural retreat complete with rolling lawns and farm. One of the first things noted was the increase in food! Having completed O and A Levels, Brother Thomas was sent for a three-year teacher-training course at Hopwood Hall, Manchester.
Mention of Manchester, at least for some people, evokes images of football and in particular of Manchester United. Now, Brother Thomas was born in 1942 in Glenflesk, County Kerry, Ireland, near the beautiful Lakes of Killarney. County Kerry is also a Gaelic football stronghold and is sometimes referred to as ‘The Kingdom’. While still supporting Kerry, he transferred his soccer allegiance to Manchester United. He would occasionally attend games at Old Trafford, in the days when footballers like Bobby Charlton, George Best and Dennis Law were working their magic. They were the glory days of United.
Training College successfully completed in 1964, Brothers Thomas and Patrick awaited news of their assignment. It turned out to be St. Joseph’s College, Hong Kong. Bags were packed and they boarded their first ever flight in London.
The plane weaved its way across Europe, the Middle East, Iran, India, China and then Hong Kong was flagged. A typhoon, however, prevented landing and the passengers ended up in Rangoon (Yangon). It was their first real taste of the Orient - the heat, the creepie-crawlies, the noise and the colour included. It was also the first time that the meaning of a typhoon began to enter their minds. It turned out that the typhoon in question was Typhoon Ruby, and it packed a punch.
When they eventually arrived in Hong Kong on 6th September 1964 and stepped off the plane, the heat was high, sweeping up from the tarmac. The vehicular ferry took them across the harbor with the Peak forming a magnificent backdrop and then St. Joseph’s College came in sight. It looked impressive and the Brothers soon found themselves in class, teaching Chinese boys for the first time. There was no ‘bridging programme’ in those days. But there were a lot of Irish Brothers teaching there at the time, thus reducing the effects of homesickness.
The question of football soon raised its head. St. Joseph’s football ‘field’ was a narrow, rectangular playground. One kick and you could send the ball from one end to the other. In those circumstances, what had to be developed was football ‘skills’, especially involving some pretty fancy footwork.
It is not an exaggeration to say that Br Thomas was football crazy, not only for Manchester United but for the football teams of his school. He looked after them like a mother with children. Football was in his blood, a passion. The following is his own take on the football culture of his school and especially of the school’s football ‘pitch’:
“I have a lot of good memories about the football pitch in St. Joseph's.
The football pitch is the centerpiece of St, Joseph's, both geographically and symbolically. It is located in the middle of the campus, Every time when people mention about St. Joseph’s College, they must remember the glories and trophies of our football team.
Generation after generation, Josephians have been enjoying their games on the pitch and I am sure that many guests have also enjoyed their visits to it. I remember Gordon McQueen, who was a player of Manchester United, and Jack Charlton, who served Leeds United, came to St. Joseph’s to give the C Grade players a lesson more than once. That was really memorable.
Another remarkable event took place during a C Grade football training a few years ago. We used to have an excellent player who was really powerful. One time, he kicked the ball and it flew straight over the Old Building and landed on the triangular playground. That was unbelievable.
Whenever I was asked why we have so many lines on the football pitch, I replied, 'Because it is versatile, just like every Josephian.’ As a matter of fact, students here can play football, volleyball and handball on the artificial grass pitch. Other than an arena for ball games, the pitch serves as the dining venue for the annual general meeting of the Old Boys Association every year.”
But life was not all fun and games and serious study was also the order of the day. Brother Thomas took his class work seriously and marked the exercise books conscientiously. He never raised his voice in class, preferring to establish discipline quietly and sensibly. He taught mainly English Language, Religion and Physical Education, with a little English Literature thrown in.
The first break came in 1968 when he was sent back to Ireland to take a degree. At University College, Dublin, he took English Literature, History and Ethics/Politics. On his return to Hong Kong in 1971, he resumed classroom teaching until Principalship beckoned in 1986. He remained as Principal until retirement in 2002, when he continued on as Supervisor of the school. It is worth recalling that from an early stage he took an interest in learning Cantonese and even attended the Chinese University to this purpose. He reached a stage where he could be quite easily understood in the language – as long as it did not become too idiomatic!
When asked in an interview what he thought he had achieved for the school, Brother Thomas had this to say”
“I hoped to continue the excellent tradition of St. Joseph’s. I also hoped to improve the school facilities and make it a pleasant place for learning. Above all I wanted to establish good school administration as to give Josephians the best all-round education. I feel that good progress has been made in these areas and these aims will be our on-going concerns in the years ahead.”
One way of achieving all-round education was to have students go on overseas trips. He was probably one of the pioneering Principals in this regard. He himself very much enjoyed these overseas trips with students, especially those to London, and sought sponsorship for them to ensure poorer students could join.
While Brother Thomas was faithful to his school duties he never lost sight of the role of religion and spiritual formation. He himself prayed the Mass and the Rosary regularly. In addition, he took over the role of Spiritual Director of Star of the Sea Legion of Mary Praesidium. He ensured that the Catholic life of the school was not neglected. When asked about the importance of this aspect of school life he replied:
“I do believe that religion plays an important part in school life. We show this by the religious services ceremonies throughout the year which are so well organized by the Christian Union. We also show it by maintaining a Christian spirit and atmosphere in the school, by respect one another and by the practice of honesty and charity in our relationships with others.”
And when asked about an appropriate motto for life, he had this to say:
“Our own school motto is a good guide: Labore et Virtute, we will succeed by good work and by good-living habits. I will give you another motto to help you in life. In Latin it says: DABIT QUI DEDIT and it means: He will provide who has provided. In other words, God will continue to look after us in the future as He has done in the past.”
Brother Thomas had his own views on status in society. And so, when asked how he felt about having so many Josephian celebrities in society, he said:
“Yes, many Josephians are prominent in society today. Maybe we should not aim to be celebrities but rather to do our job to the best of our abilities. Let us use our talents to serve our society and to live a fulfilling life. Honest service of others is itself a great privilege.”
St. Joseph’s College and everything connected with it was his world. In an interview given in 1998, he summarises his passion like this:
“If I had a chance to start all over again I would certainly choose to work in St. Joseph’s College. To be associated with St. Joseph’s College and its staff, students and parents is a joy and a privilege. My heart is in St. Joseph’s College and every day here is a good day!”
And, as Brother Thomas Lavin put it: “He loved talking to students, would know their names, invite them to his office and give them little presents. He was great for remembering birthdays and other special occasions. He would also write notes of appreciation.”
There is one other Brother who has actually spent a longer period in St. Joseph’s than Brother Thomas, although not from the beginning of his teaching career. Brother Alphonsus Breen started teaching in St. Joseph’s in 1962. He and Brother Thomas were living together in community since then. They became fast friends and supported each other down through the years. At one point in time, Brother Alphonsus took Brother Thomas to Australia, hoping that a change of environment would be beneficial.
Another Brother that he lived a long time with in community was Brother Brendan. They struck up a good relationship, perhaps partly because they hailed from County Kerry and also because both loved doing crosswords – the cryptic type, that is certainly not for beginners.
Despite playing much football and refereeing games, Brother Thomas’s health was never that robust. He tended to snack, eating slowly and lightly. He needed strength and energy because responsibility weighed heavily and he sometimes took minor school setbacks too seriously. Over the years he had suffered from bouts of depression but emerged apparently unscathed each time. In later years, however, he fell into longer and longer troughs.
The Brothers were very concerned and various treatments were sought, even to the extent of trying out new environments. He did not take well to these changes and would not rest until he had returned to St. Joseph’s. Although he rested there, he could not summon enough energy to enter more fully into the life of the school and spent most of the time in his room.
The release from this kind of suffering came much faster than expected on 7th September 2017 while he was receiving treatment in Eastern hospital. The sad news spread rapidly and there was a huge turnout at both wake and funeral. The wake and funeral Mass were, fittingly, held in the school he loved. The funeral Mass, celebrated by Bishop Joseph Ha, was held on 23rd September followed by burial at St. Michael’s Catholic Cemetery, Happy Valley. Brother Thomas was very attached to his family and so it was fortunate that one of his brothers, Michael, and two of his sisters, Margaret and Mary, were able to come from Ireland to attend.
Michael wrote to Brother Jeffrey Chan on behalf of the family: “It was a tremendous tribute to Tom that you wanted and succeeded in having the wake and funeral mass held in the college. That involved a lot of extra work and routine disturbance for very many at the college but most especially yourself. I am extremely appreciative of that.”
The eulogy was delivered by Brother Edmundo Fernandez, the Visitor/Provincial of the Brothers of East Asia. He concentrated on the three loves of Brother Thomas’s life:
“Brother Thomas Anthony Favier FSC, whose life we celebrate today, knows what it is to fall in love and stay in love. He didn’t have too many passions but the few that he had animated and energized his whole life: first, an extraordinary and exceptional love for St. Joseph College; second, and with equal fervour, a love for football. But these two loves of Brother Thomas come together in his biggest and most passionate pursuit: his devotion and love for his students and his Old Boys.”
May our merciful Lord and Father welcome Brother Thomas into His Kingdom.
