The Awardee of The Third Hong Kong Humanity Award - Father Sean Patrick BURKE (Deceased on 5 May 2009)

Since he was ordained a Maryknoll priest in 1978, Father Sean Patrick Burke had devoted himself whole-heartedly to the betterment of life of people and done enormous and invaluable volunteer work for many disadvantaged people in Hong Kong for three decades. In the 1980s, caring for dying patients was a completely new concept and palliative care was seldom known and not yet widely accepted. Father Burke became an Executive Committee Member of the Society for the Promotion of Hospice Care (SPHC) since 1989 and was one of the members to promote caring of people with terminal illness with a few other missionaries, doctors, nurses and volunteers in the early stage. Together with other committee members of the SPHC, Father Burke planned and built the first independent hospice in Hong Kong, the Bradbury Hospice (BBH) in Shatin, New Territories. After three-year operation by SPHC, a submission was made to the Hospital Authority to take over the management and control of the BBH. This important milestone signified public recognition of the importance of hospice care in Hong Kong. Father Burke continued to participate actively in the Executive Committee of SPHC to advise on issues related to the promotion of hospice care and provision of quality end-of-life care in Hong Kong. In 1978, Father Burke helped start a charity organization called the Helping Hand that served homeless elderly people. Father Burke was once the Administrator and Chairman, while he had never been miserly to visit the elderly to comfort them and to innovatively improve the charity’s services according to their needs, ensuring the enhancement of the quality of life for the elderly. Dying is a phase of life and Father Burke spent his whole life to improve the quality of lives of the terminally ill and the elderly, ensure and respect their dignity. A quote from Father Burke says, “Death will come to all of us, but it begs us to be aware of what we too, will eventually leave behind to guide the lives of those who come behind us”, his tireless and selfless service towards the needy should definitely guide us to the spirit of humanity.