Datuk Father Arthur Julien(余廉神父) - Father of Heng Ee High School

Datuk Father Arthur Julien(余廉神父), born in Beigium, live as Penang lang; physically a Beigium, spiritually a Catholic Chinese educationist. Born as Belgium, died as Malaysian. He is the father of Heng Ee schools.....

From 1852 to 1983 he was physically in Penang, from 1983 to 1999 his heart was in Penang. From 1999 to 2004, Father Julien was suffering from Parkinson's Disease, his memory was in Penang.....

Penang lang are proud of him, and remember his legacy, the Heng Ee Schools; and remember him....for his love to Penang.

Heng Ee Primary School(恒毅华小), co-founded in 1957 by Belgian Roman Catholic priest Father Arthur A. Julien, from the Missions étrangères de Paris. The Society of Foreign Missions of Paris (French: Société des Missions Étrangères de Paris, short M.E.P.) is a Roman Catholic missionary organization. It is not a religious order, but an organization of secular priests and lay persons dedicated to missionary work in foreign lands.

Datuk Father Arthur Julien(余廉神父)(b1917 d2004)



Datuk Father Arthur Julien(余廉神父)1917-2004

1917 - Born in a village at Belgium(比利时)on 25-2-1917. Father was a government tax collector.

Father Julien is also remembered as a good scout and a fine harmonica player.

Priesthood Education 1935-1944
1935 - After graduate from High school, Julien attended Notre-Dame de la Strada, Brussels - Archdiocese of Paris? (比利时教会学院) major in Philosophy(攻读哲学系).

After graduation he wanted to be a missionary. He joined the seminary for priesthood education to become a catholic father or priest(毕业后便已决心当神父, 随后进入大修院，先后在Belgium(比利时), Tunisia(突尼西亚)及北非(North Africa)的 Jesuit Seminary耶稣会神学院里进修多年).

(Note: Priesthood education is extensive and lasts at least five or six years in seminary. Seminarians usually graduate with a Master of Divinity or a Master of Theology degree, which is a four-year professional degree (as opposed to a Master of Arts which is an academic degree). At least four years are to be in theological studies at the major seminary. In the end, however, each individual bishop is responsible for the official call to priesthood, and only they may ordain. Any ordinations done before the normally scheduled time (before study completion) must have the explicit approval of the bishop; any such ordinations done more than a year in advance must have the approval of the Holy See).

1838-1945 World War II

Mr Julien graduated from Institut Catholique de Paris??(巴黎神学院)

1944 - Ordain as a catholic father or catholic priest at the age of 27 years old.

1946 - When in France, Father Julien has close encounter with Chinese culture, and had decided for China missionary work. Father Arthur A. Julien, joined Missions étrangères de Paris. The Society of Foreign Missions of Paris (French: Société des Missions Étrangères de Paris, short M.E.P.) is a Roman Catholic missionary organization. It is not a religious order, but an organization of secular priests and lay persons dedicated to missionary work in foreign lands. He was sent to Guizhou, China(中国贵州), one of China's most demographically diverse provinces. He remained there for 6 years. In 1945, Guizhou was upgraded to Archdiocese of Guiyang.

1949 - On 1 October 1949, after a bitter civil war (1946-1949), Mao Zedong proclaimed the People's Republic of China, China become communist country, People Republic of China. The Church-run Sacred Heart School, was confiscated in the 1950s. In view of the political situation, and its hostile environment to religion and foreign missionary, Father Julien left China.

1952-1983 Penang

1952 - Arrived Penang from China. Father Arthur Julien(余廉神父) spoke fluent Mandarin, this is an advantage to his missionary work in Penang, especially in the field of education.

1956 - Established the Heng Ee Primary School(恒毅华小), Fr. Arthur Julien was co-founder of the Heng Ee Primary School, together with the late Fr. Francis Chao Chung Sheng(b1927-d2010). Father Julien, alongside Rev. Fr. Chao Chung Sheng, expanded the Heng Ee school on public donations after coming to Penang in 1952. The school was made up to provide basic education for children from poor homes who had exceeded the school-entering age. Heng Ee school stands erect beside the Seven Sorrows church(七苦堂)(Church of Our Lady of Sorrows, established in 1888) along Jalan Macalister in Penang. It's a monument of Father Julien's lifelong contribution to the country though he was never recognized as a Tokoh Guru under our education system.

1957 - Heng Ee High School or SMJK Heng Ee(恒毅中学) was founded in 1957 by Datuk Father Arthur Julien, a Belgian missionary who arrived in Penang from China in 1952. The school is located at Hamilton Road, Georgetown, Penang. He had also established the Heng Ee Primary School and Heng Ee Kindergarten in 1956 and 1969 respectively

1961-1962:Church of Our Lady of Sorrows

1961-1962 - He served as parish priest of the Church of Our Lady of Sorrows (originally Church of Our Lady of Seven Sorrows),a Catholic church for Chinese-speaking parishioners in Penang, from 1961 to 1962.

1969 - Established Heng Ee Kindergarten(恒毅幼稚园)at Ghat Presgrave(Gat Lebuh Presgrave), which is located at working class neighborhood, with Hockkian majority. There were no kindergarten in the area, as pre-school education was not popular like today(三条路沿海贫民区里创办了恒毅幼稚园，当时的学费每人每月仅收3块钱，清寒儿童甚至 还可以申请免费。30年后的现在，学费也不过12令吉，贫苦家庭也负担得起。从创办到现在，恒毅幼稚园一直 是州内清寒儿童的教育摇篮)。He is fluent in Mandarin and Hokkien(which he picked up in Penang), an advantage to the work in the area.
Father Julian even gave up the RM60,000 that his Belgian family willed to him and channeled the money to the schools' education foundation.

1973 - Father Julien was involved in the relocation of SJK (C) Shang Wu(商务小学), established 1909, from the town to Jalan Sekolah La Salle, Air Itam near the state mosque. He applied to the Catholic Mission(圣芳济修士协会) for a 3 acres land beside SXI Primary school, to built new school for SJK (C) Shang Wu. He even involved with the fund raising campaign for the school, active in Ghost Festival fund raising. The school was completed and celebrated 100 years anniversary on 27-3-2010(1973年向天主教修士教会申请到一块3亩土地予商务小学，并献议商务小学迁校至亚依淡)

1976-1985: Church of the Holy Spirit

1976-1985 - assistant parish priest to the Church of the Holy Spirit (elevated to Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in September 2002) at Green Lane with Father Paul Decroix between 1976 and 1985.
(source: http://holyspiritcathedral.com/english/html/about/history.htm)

1983-1999: St.Francis De Sales,Sitiawan

1977 - The new school of SJK (C) Shang Wu(商务小学)located at Air itam was completed.

1983 - Fr. Arthur Julien was posted to St.Francis De Sales in Sitiawan(实兆远), Perak as parish priest. Despite the appeal by the students and schools, Father Julien was still transfer. Some said it was because of his school fund raising activities during the Ghost Festival at 7th month of Chinese lunar calendar. As a catholic father he should not attend the other religion function and involved in their activities. From 1983 till 1999, he was at Sitiawan the same church

1995 - Rev Julien was bestowed the Datukship by the Penang State Governor in July 1995.

1996 - when the old church building was demolished to build a new and bigger church by Dato Rev.Fr.Arthur Julien.

Church of St. Francis de Sales
521 Jalan Raja Omar, 32000 Sitiawan, Perak

1999 - He became an inmate of Batu Lancang Old Folks Home, Little Sisters of the Poor(巴都兰樟安老院), after his retirement in 1999. It was then discovered that Father Julien was suffering from Parkinson's Disease.

2004 - Passed away in Penang on September 11, 2004. He was 87. Funeral was on September 14. He was buried at the Catholic Cemetry, Jalan Kelawei, Penang. his funeral was held on sept. 14, tuesday at 10.00am at the cathedral of the holy spirit, island park, green lane, penang. the heng ee board of director’s vice president, seow teng heang had said that nearly 2000 students from SM heng ee uniformed societies would reprsent the school at his funeral. and of course heng ee’s school band would be there too.

2004年7月在庆祝晋铎60周年庆典中，获罗马教宗若望保禄二世颁发祝福证书. 2004年12月8日获追颁林连玉精神奖，表扬其对华教之贡献。

(Note: The blog article need some information, especially on early life, and priesthood education(names of seminaries need confirmation), missionary work in China, priesthood in Penang 1963 to 1975).








余廉神父享年87岁　14日举行殡葬弥撒

（槟城11日讯）槟岛伟大的教育家余廉神父是于今日中午12时40分在巴都兰樟安老院病逝，享 年87岁。
晚年患上老年痴呆症的余廉神父不良于行。日前被送进南华医院，证实患上白血病。日前被送回巴都兰樟安老院后 已昏迷不醒，须依赖氧气筒呼吸。

余廉神父是恒毅中小学及幼稚园的创建人。生前除了热心传教，余廉神父将他毕生精力和热忱都投注在华文教育里 ，赢得华社深深敬重。槟城人会永远铭记这名为华文教育鞠躬尽瘁的教育家。

恒毅三校董事部、家协、校友会及华社代表已组成治丧委员会悼念余廉神父。余廉神父遗灵将放置在青草巷圣神堂 供教友及民众瞻仰。

于廉神父遗体将于本月14日（周二）出殡，安葬在加拉歪路天主教坟场。并于当日在青草巷圣神堂举行殡葬弥撒 。

●余廉神父的华教人生

1917年2月25日，余廉神父出生于比利时乡村。父亲是一名税收局公务员，母亲是家庭主妇。他在求学时就 很活跃，是一名童军领袖，吹奏一口旋律悠扬的好口琴。酷爱旅游、探险、曾经想当一名考古学家。

1935年高中毕业后，余廉在比利时教会学院攻读哲学系，毕业后便已决心当神父。随后进入大修院，先后在比 利时、突尼西亚及北非的耶稣会神学院里进修多年。二战时期，余廉神父自巴黎神学院毕业。1944年，年仅2 7岁的他正式成为神父。

1946年，余廉神父在法国传教，接触了蕴含丰富的中国文化，决心到中国传教。后来被派往中国贵州传教6年 。中国赤化后，余廉神父在1952年被派到马来亚槟城传教，从此与东方花园结下不解之缘。

余廉神父在槟岛的中路七苦堂传教后，即于1956年在该教堂旁创办了恒毅华小，一年后创办恒毅私立中学，提 供辍学者、印尼及泰国的华侨学习中文。1966年，在哈密顿律创办恒毅国民型中学，提供州内学生多一所学习 中文的学府。

1969年，余廉神父在三条路沿海贫民区里创办了恒毅幼稚园，当时的学费每人每月仅收3块钱，清寒儿童甚至 还可以申请免费。30年后的现在，学费也不过12令吉，贫苦家庭也负担得起。从创办到现在，恒毅幼稚园一直 是州内清寒儿童的教育摇篮。

兴办教育、推广华教，除了一份理想和执著，还要有庞大的资金才能成事。为了恒毅三校的发展，余廉神父到处奔 波，并且慷慨将家人留给他的6万令吉遗产通通捐作恒毅的教育基金。

为了替恒毅三校及商务学校筹募扩建经费，余廉神父曾经多年配合槟城中元联合会，在每年农历7月间的盂兰胜会 里，冲破宗教的藩篱，走进烟火袅绕的大街小巷，在一尊尊“大士爷”面前，恳请公众资助华文教育 。

余廉神父鞠躬尽瘁为华教的火热精神，引起教会领导层的不同看法。80年代初，余廉神父被调到霹雳州的实兆远 传教。那个时候，恒毅中小学的师生、家教协会及董事部，甚至热爱华教的公众再三向槟区主教请愿，希望挽留余 廉神父继续在槟岛为华教耕耘，可是都不得要领。

就这样，余廉神父被调到老远的实兆远的一所教堂里传教，一呆就整20年。尽管如此，余廉神父仍然经常一个人驾着老爷汽车，一早从遥远的实兆远风尘仆仆赶到槟岛，巡视恒毅三校的进展，同时不遗余力为学校发动筹款。一直忙到夜晚，修院的大门早已深锁，余廉神父就寄宿在民众家里。第二天一早，又形色匆匆回到实兆 远。

1995年7月，余廉神父获槟州元首封赐拿督勋衔，成为大马首个获得拿督级的神父。

1999年，余廉神父退休后，入住巴都兰樟安老院。

Related articles:

1. 怀念余廉神父 永铭伟志功不朽,报道：黄振德（第16届）、江健秋（第15届）恒毅国民型中学, http://www.kwongwah.com.my/supplement/2009/09/30/12.html
2. A Brief History of the Church of St. Francis de Sales, Sitiawan, Perak (since 1898), http://www.angelfire.com/folk/sfds-sitiawan/b_history.htm
3. Fr Francis Chao passes away(2010), http://www.penangdiocese.org/pages/posts/fr-francis-chao-passes-away878.php
4. Archdiocese of Guiyang, http://www.ucanews.com/dps/html/dps-ch_guiyang.php
5. 槟城商务学校, http://www.kwangteng-pg.org/module.php?mod=18#jump