The Maryknoll sisters had little idea they would become heavily involved in education the day they set off for Hong Kong from New York in 1921. The sisterhood was looking for ways 'to serve' but had no definite plans.
Four years later, at the request of the Portuguese community, Sister Mary Paul McKenna started up a kindergarten in the community room of their convent in Austin Road for 12 children.
Months later, an additional teaching room was opened in the garage. As the demand for education grew, more space was acquired on nearby sites in the following years.
That kindergarten laid the foundation for Maryknoll Convent School (MCS), one of the oldest in Hong Kong.
Maryknoll moved from Austin Road to its present site in 1937. The historic red-brick building in Kowloon Tong is now its primary section.
The building, already designated as a grade-three historic building by the Antiquities Advisory Board, is expected to be declared a monument soon, given its unique style. It was modelled on the conventional English school of the day, with a large open inner courtyard.