Hawaii’s original Chinese Carmelites pose with Bishop John J. Scanlan, who invited them to Hawaii in 1973. From left, Sister Agnella Iu, Sister Mary Caroline Chow, Mother Mary Agnes Tse, Sister Agnes Marie Wong, Sister Teresita Tam, Sister Mary Angel Wong and Sister Marie Tang. (HCH file photo)
Hawaii’s Carmelite sisters came from Hong Kong to the Islands in 1973 at the invitation of Bishop John J. Scanlan. There were seven — Mother Mary Agnes Tse, Sister Mary Angel Wong, Sister Mary Caroline Chow, Sister Teresita Tam, Sister Agnes Marie Wong, Sister Marie Tang and Sister Agnella Iu.
The Carmelites founded Carmel of the Holy Trinity monastery on the grounds of St. Stephen Diocesan Center in a convent vacated by the Marist Missionary Sisters. As a cloistered, contemplative order, the sisters removed themselves from the outside world to engage in their main apostolate, prayer.
Over the years, they developed the surrounding two acres of land with terraced fish ponds, fruit trees and bee hives.
In 1985, a donor paid for the construction of a chapel that could accommodate about 30 visitors for Mass.
The death of Sister Marie Tang of the Child Jesus on June 30 of this year left only one of the original seven. Mother Mary Agnes Tse died in 1999, Sister Mary Angel Wong died in 2004, and Mother Agnes Marie Wong and Sister Mary Caroline Chow both died on Oct. 13, 2014, just 10 hours apart. Sister Teresita Tam, who lived to be 95, died in 2015.
The last surviving Chinese nun is Sister Agnella Iu.
With her in the monastery are two local women who joined in recent years, temporarily professed Sister Elizabeth de Jesus, and Sister Therese Veronica Wilson, a novice.
