Her story began in China 100 years ago

Sister Therese Fang, OSF, celebrates her 100th birthday on Nov. 27 at her home at St. Francis Convent in Springfield.

Bibiana Fang was born on Nov. 27, 1920 in Shan Tung, Tung Ping, China. At the age of 13, she was told that she would soon be married to a boy from her village. Her mother insisted that she not marry until the age of 21 and so with the help of their parish priest, Bibiana traveled 100 miles to Jinan, China where she would continue her education and be employed. Her residence and employment would be at St. Joseph’s Hospital, founded by the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis in 1925, and she would work in the dining room reserved for doctors and priests.

For the next 10 years, her work at the hospital evolved as she served with the Sisters in the operating room, X-ray, and lab along with serving as an organist. She began to consider the example of the Sisters and if it was something she would consider for her life. She made the decision to answer God’s call and entered religious life on March 25, 1944, was given the name Sister Therese in 1945, and professed first vows on Sept. 17, 1946. She believed that her religious life would be spent in service to the Chinese people.

It was during this time that tensions were increasing between the Japanese, the Communists, and the Chinese nationals and so it was decided that the Sisters should evacuate and be brought to safety in Springfield. They sailed from Shanghai, China on the SS General Meigs on May 12, 1948 and after arriving in San Francisco, they traveled on a train across the United States and arrived in Springfield on June 5. The plan was that they would stay in America for three years in hopes that the situation in China would improve for their return. Unfortunately, since the situation in China did not improve over the next few years, the decision was made that the Sisters would not return and it was during this time that they learned that their hospital was taken over by the government.

Now permanently in Springfield, the Chinese Sisters continued studies while learning the American way of life. Sister Therese attended St. John’s Hospital School of Nursing and later earned a certificate in 1956 from St. John’s Hospital School of X-ray. She became a registered radiological technician and she served at St. John’s Tuberculosis Sanitarium/Springfield, along with four of the Sisters’ hospitals: St. John’s Hospital/Springfield; St. Nicholas Hospital/Sheboygan, Wis.; St. Joseph’s Hospital/Chippewa Falls, Wis.; and St. Francis Hospital/Litchfield, where she served from 1960 to 1996.

After 31 years of very limited contact with her family in China, Sister Therese and two other Chinese Sisters traveled to China in 1979. They were happy to be reunited with their families but saddened to hear of the suffering that was endured.

Sister Therese comes from a family has been blessed with numerous religious vocations. She has seven priests in her family: one great-great-uncle, two great-uncles, and four cousins. In addition, two of her cousins are religious sisters. “All of these people, and so many others, have prayed for and supported me over the years. Without them I might have left the convent and without them I would not have survived,” Sister Therese said.

When asked about achieving a long healthy life, she replied, “I always was active in my life, even playing baseball, and I ate chocolate. I also believe in the power of prayer and to have faith.”

Brian Blasco is director of Communications and provincial archivist for the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis.