Maryknoll, NY: Sister Agnes Chou, M.M. died on June 11th, 2021 at the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY. She was born on October 3rd, 1928, in Kung Ch’eng, China to Antony Chou and Chow (Meng) Liang Chen. In addition, she had two sisters and two brothers who have all pre-deceased her.
Agnes entered the Sister Catechists of Our Lady, a Chinese Community trained by the Maryknoll Sisters. After several years of mission work, from 1951 – 1953, she was sent to Macau, to complete her Secondary Education at St. Rose of Lima High School. During that time, the Communist government disbanded her religious Community in China. Unable to return home, the Maryknoll Sisters brought her to Hong Kong where she worked in refugee settlements with the Maryknoll Sisters until 1962.
On May 2nd, 1962 she joined the first group of Maryknoll Sisters to receive their Novitiate training outside of the United States at Quezon City, Manila, Philippines. She made her First Profession of Vows on March 19th, 1964. From 1964 – 1971, she returned to Hong Kong and did catechetical work. She made her Final Profession of Vows there on March 19th, 1970. She also studied at Chu Hai College, Hong Kong from 1967 – 1971, earning a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Education.
Sister Agnes left Hong Kong in 1971, for a six months furlough at the Maryknoll Sisters Center in Maryknoll, New York. She then served at St. Teresa’s Parish in Chicago Chinatown from 1972 – 1979. Within the same year, she became a United States citizen on October 3rd, 1979.
From 1981 – 1983, Sister Agnes worked in the New York City Chinatown Health Clinic doing social work. Then from 1984 – 1985, she was, engaged in pastoral ministry and assisted with a refugee assistance program in Brooklyn, NY
In 1986, she returned to Chinatown NYC. During her time there, she worked in Social Services for Head Start and with Asian Family Services until 1989.
Sister Agnes returned to Boundary Street, Kowloon, Hong Kong in 1990 and worked at a hostel for young women until it closed in 1991. She then visited various parishes until 1996 working with the elderly and patients suffering from Hansen’s Disease in Northeast China.
In 2017, she returned to the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY.