Florence Li Tim-Oi
Florence Li Tim-Oi | |
---|---|
First Woman Priest in the Anglican Communion | |
Born | 5 May 1907 Hong Kong |
Died | 26 February 1992 Toronto, Ontario, Canada | (aged 84)
Venerated in | Episcopal Church (United States), Anglican Church of Canada |
Feast | 24 January (Episcopal Church (United States)); 26 February (Anglican Church of Canada) |
Florence Li Tim-Oi (
Biography
Li Tim-Oi was born in
The Japanese occupation of Hong Kong and of parts of China had made it impossible for Anglican priests to get to neutral Macau, where there was no resident Anglican priest; Li was, despite not being ordained a priest at that time, given permission by Hall to give the sacraments to Anglicans. Hall explained to the Archbishop of Canterbury at the time, William Temple: "I have given her permission to celebrate the Lord’s Supper. If I could reach her physically I should ordain her priest rather than give her permission … I'm not an advocate for the ordination of women. I am, however, determined that no prejudices should prevent the congregations committed to my care having the sacraments of the Church."[3]
In January 1944, Li travelled through Japanese-occupied territory to the small town of Hsinxing, as yet unoccupied by the Japanese, to meet with Hall; from there they proceeded to Shaoqing where he regularised her administration of the sacraments by ordaining her as a priest on 25 January 1944.[4] William Temple confided to others his conflicting views but he felt compelled to take a public stand against it.[3] It was to be 30 years before any Anglican church regularised the ordination of women; to avoid further controversy she resigned her licence (though not her priest's orders) after the end of the war.[5][6]
In 1948 she was among a group of Chinese clergy sent to visit the USA. She was asked not to preach during the visit. On her return to China she worked in a maternity home and childcare in Hepu. In 1951 she went to study at the private theological Yenching University in Beijing and then returned to Union Theological College in Canton to teach English and theology from 1953 until 1957. During this time, social changes from the rise of the People's Republic of China meant she was subjected to much public criticism and ridicule for adhering to a foreign religion.[7]
The Communist government in China closed all churches from 1958 to 1974, during which time Li was compelled to work on a farm and then in a factory. She was forced to undergo political re-education because she was designated as a counter-revolutionary. Li Tim-Oi went to the mountains to pray during that era because she was scared to be seen with her fellow Christian friends. She said that she nearly committed suicide during those long years of persecution. The Red Guards even forced her to cut up her own church vestments with scissors.[8][9] In 1974 she was allowed to retire from factory work.[7]
When Hong Kong ordained two further women priests (
In the 1980s it was possible for Li to leave China. She was appointed an honorary (nonstipendiary) assistant priest at St. John's Chinese congregation and St. Matthew's parish in Toronto in 1983. In 1984 she was reinstated as priest by the Anglican Church of Canada that ordained women as priests since 1975. She also officiated at the Cathedral Church of St. James in Toronto for several years. In 1984 she was at Westminster Abbey for a celebration of 40 years since her ordination as priest.[7] She died on 26 February 1992 in Toronto.[1]
Li was awarded awarded Doctorates of Divinity by Trinity College, Toronto and the General Theological Seminary, New York.[1]
Tributes
In 2003, the
She is also memorialized in the calendar of the Anglican Church of Canada with a feast day on February 26, the anniversary of her death.
Her archives are held in the Lusi Wong Library at
See also
References
- ^ a b c Koturbash, Therese (25 January 2020). "Rev. Florence Li Tim-Oi -- First Woman Ordained in Anglican Communion 25 January 1944". Women's Ordination Worldwide. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
- ISBN 978-0-232-51632-6.
- ^ a b Rose, Mavis (1996). Freedom From Sanctified Sexism – Women Transforming the Church. Queensland, Australia: Allira Publications. pp. 129–149.
- ISBN 1-55126-128-6.
- ^ "Li Tim-Oi's Story". www.ittakesonewoman.org. Archived from the original on 13 April 2019. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
- ^ Harrison. Much Beloved Daughter. pp. 41–53.
- ^ a b c d Chia, Christy. "Florence Li: Pioneer in the Anglican Priesthood (Part 2)". CBE International. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
- ^ "Rev. Florence Li Tim-Oi -- First Woman Ordained in Anglican Communion 25 January 1944". 25 January 2020.
- ^ Schjonberg, Mary Frances (May 4, 2007). "Communion to celebrate first woman priest Li Tim-Oi on anniversary of birth". episcopalchurch.org. Archived from the original on March 22, 2020. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
- ISBN 9789888455928.
- ISBN 978-0-89869-678-3.
- ^ "Lesser Feasts and Fasts 2018".
- ^ "Ordination of Florence Li Tim-Oi". satucket.com. Retrieved 2021-04-10.
- ^ Schjonberg, Mary Frances (4 May 2007). "Communion to celebrate first woman priest Li Tim-Oi on anniversary of birth | Episcopal Church". The Episcopal Church. Retrieved 18 August 2016.
- ^ Frances, Mary (13 July 2018). "Convention makes Thurgood Marshall, Pauli Murray, Florence Li Tim-Oi permanent saints of the church – Episcopal News Service". Episcopalnewsservice.org. Retrieved 2018-07-28.
External links
- The Li Tim-Oi Foundation
- Mary Frances Schjonberg, "Toward Columbus: Women's ordination marks 30-year milestone: Debate changed face of church," found at Episcopal Church official website