Marco Carvalho
Former parochial vicar of both Saint Lawrence and Saint Lazarus parishes, Father José Fu Chun died on Thursday, April 24th at Conde São Januário Hospital. Born and raised in Macau, the elderly priest died at age 91, after a long-term illness.
A good colleague and a friend to all, especially the poor and destitute: This is how Father Luís Gonzaga Lo, former Chancellor of the Diocese of Macau, remembers Father José Fu Chun, who died on April, 24th in Conde São Januário public Hospital, at the age of 91.
Former classmates at Saint Joseph’s Seminary, the two priests took the most significant step in their ecclesiastical careers together on June 26th, 1960, when they were ordained priests. After being invested with the sacrament of Holy Order, the paths of the two diocesan priests would not cross again until the beginning of the new millennium, when the Diocese of Macau entrusted them with the pastoral care of Saint Lazarus’ Parish, the parish where Father José Fu celebrated his last Eucharist, on October 12th, 2014.
Evoking his years at the Seminary, Father Luís Gonzaga Lo recalls his former schoolfellow as a good student, a good colleague and someone who was endeared by all: “Father José Fu and I studied together at Saint Joseph’s Seminary. After we were ordained, he was sent to one of the parishes, while I remained at the Seminary first, before being sent to a school. It was only much later, around 2005, that I worked directly with him once again”, the former chancellor of the Diocese of Macau told “O Clarim”. “At Saint Joseph’s Seminary, Father José Fu was a very good student, a very good colleague. He was friends with everyone. We were ordained on the same day, 26th June, 1960. So, more than sixty years ago”, Father Luís Lo adds.
Ordained a priest in the early 1960s, Father José Fu was appointed parochial vicar of Saint Lawrence’s Church by Bishop D. Paulo José Tavares in 1962. There, he worked along Father Manuel da Fonseca Moreira for almost twenty years, earning a reputation for walking with the poor and most vulnerable: “His death is a great loss for the Diocese of Macau. It is a great loss because he was a good priest. He was very close to the faithful, helping them both in their spiritual life and in their daily life, especially the poorest among them. He was a great friend of the poor”, Father Luís Gonzaga Lo asserts. “He worked with Father Lancelote Rodrigues at the beginning of his priestly life and remained a good friend of Father Lancelote throughout his life. Many people are already saying they will miss him because he helped the needy so much. This is what matters the most. He was like Pope Francis, a friend of the poor. He was a fair-minded man, a righteous man”, the former chancellor of the Diocese of Macau adds.
In his last interview with “O Clarim”, on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of his priestly ordination, in 2020, Father José Fu disclosed that he was happy to see a new generation of young people open to priesthood. More important than considering a vocation, he claimed at the time, is, nevertheless, to always trust in God: “Hold on to your vocation, persevere to the end and fulfil your duties. We’ve been priests for so many years and we’ve always remained faithful to our vocation. How did we do it? By always remembering the purpose of the dedication to our vocation and by remaining faithful to it”, the late priest contended.
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