School History

The first Marist Brothers left France and went to China in 1891. In 1893, they were invited to teach in St. Francis Xavier's College, Shanghai, which was founded by the Jesuit Fathers. In 1896, our Brothers were given full responsibility for the College. After its re-organisation in 1950, the Brothers came to Hong Kong and gave religious instruction in St. Martin's English School. Two years later, they were asked to take over St. Martin's. In 1954, with the help of the Education Department, new school premises were built at the junction of Maple Street and Sycamore Street. On 9th December 1955, classes were resumed on the new premises and the school was renamed St. Francis Xavier's College to emphasize the link with St. Francis Xavier's College in Shanghai.

Brief history and important events:

Year Date Event
1817 2nd January Father Marcellin Champagnat founded the Marist Brothers in La Valla, France.
1891 8th March The first Marist Brothers left France and went to Peking & Tientsin of China for the greatest adventure of their life.
1893   The Brothers were invited to teach in St. Francis Xavier’s College, Shanghai, which was founded in 1874 by the Jesuit Fathers.
1895   The Brothers took over full responsibility for St. Francis Xavier’s College, Shanghai.
1949   Owing to the change of the situation, the Brothers gradually left the Mainland and came to Hong Kong.
1952   Three Brothers, Bro. Peter Ziegler, Bro. Vincent Kunert & Bro. Bosco Wei, taught in Pooi Sun English College.
March The Brothers gave religious courses in St. Martin’s English School at 28B Grampian Road, 1st floor, Kowloon City.
September The Brothers were asked to take over St. Martin’s English School with Rev. Bro. Peter Ziegler (Bro. Pierre-Stanislas) as the Principal.
1953-1954   With the encouragement of the Bishop, negotiations were opened with the Education Department in view of obtaining a site on which to build a school.  These were successfully completed in 1954, after the Congregation had been incorporated in Hong Kong.
1955 March Construction work of a school building began on the new site at the junction of Sycamore Street and Maple Street, Taikoktsui, which was a squatters area and a quarry for granite rock.  Rev. Bro. Ange Lapp who initiated the project was actually the master mind of the whole scheme.
July The students of St. Martin’s English School said farewell to the old premises in Grampian Road which was closed ever since then.
September The school reopened at Tang King Po School on Tin Kwong  Road with Rev. Bro. Kenny T. Doheny as our first Principal.  The enrolment of students reached the 600 mark.
6th December The long awaited occupation permit for the new school building was issued.
9th December Classes were resumed in St. Francis Xavier’s College at K.I.L. 6421, Maple Street, Taikoktsui. The name emphasizes the link with St. Francis Xavier’s College, Shanghai, one of the oldest Marist Institutions in the Far East.
1956 June The first group of 56 S.F.X. students took part in the H.K. School Certificate Examination.
20th August An English Evening School for the poorer children of the Shamshuipo area began to function on the premises.
1960 September The enrolment of students reached the 1000 mark.
1962 January A typing class was opened through the generous help of the German people who contributed to the purchase of 42 new typewriters.
September The figure of students was 1092.
December The first School Album was published.
1963 May Rev. Bro. Vincent Kunert became our second Principal.
1964 25th November Our brother school, St. Francis Xavier’s School Tsuen Wan, opened.
6th December The first Open Day was held to mark the 10th Anniversary.
  The first generation of the school bulletin "Athenaeum" (文宬) was published.
1965   The second School Album was published.
1966   The first Matriculation class was established.
The third School Album was published.
1967   St. Francis Xavier’s College organised the first Sports Day.
12th November The second Open Day was held with Bishop Francis Hsu officiating at the Opening Ceremony.
1968   The extension work of the East Wing was completed.
1969   The second school bulletin "Xaverian" (聖芳濟學報) was published.
1970 September The enrolment of studentsreached 1,466, the highest figure so far.
November The first Swimming Gala was held.
1971 August Rev. Bro. Gregory Seubert was installed as our third Principal.
1972   The fourth School Album was published.
1975   The fifth School Album was published.
August Rev. Bro. Bosco Wei took over the school as our fourth Principal.
1976 September The English Evening Tutorial became an Evening Secondary School.
1978 September St. Francis Xavier’s College became a Government subsidised school.
1979 24th May The school premises was allotted a house number as 45, Sycamore Street, Taikoktsui, Kowloon.
1980 2nd October With the aim of raisingfund for building a School Hall, St. Francis Xavier’s Building Fund Group was set up, with Mr. A.A. Braga as the chairman.
1981 2nd February Fund-raising Campaign began.
20th February The first Fund-raising Walkathon for the School Hall took place at Shing Mun Reservoir.
3rd May The first phase of construction work began with demolition of the Covered Playground.
1983 6th June The second phase of construction work was launched.
21st October The second Fund-raising Walkathon was held at Shing Mun Reservoir.
22nd December The Open Playground was resurfaced.
1984 25th January The construction work ofthe West Wing completed.
24th April The Opening Ceremony of the School Hall named Champagnat Hall on the top floor of the West Wingwas held. It was officiated by the Hon. C.H. Haye, CBE, J.P., Director of Education Department, the most Rev. John Baptist Wu, Bishop of Hong Kong & Rev. Bro. Basilio Rueda, FMS, Superior General of the Marist Brothers.
1985   The scholarship named "Kwok Tak Leuk Prize (II)" was established in memory of the sudden death of Master Kwok Tak Leuk, our outstanding graduate of 1979, who died young.
1987 January The third generation of the school bulletin "Xaverian" (芳泉) was published.
1989 30th May The celebration of 200th Anniversary of Blessed Father Marcellin Champagnat took place in Queen Elizabeth Stadium, Wan Chai.
September The number of Form 6 classes increased to three, with two Science classes & one Arts/Commercial class.
1st October The House system was set up, using the Chinese characters (溫良剛毅) of the school motto to name the 4 Houses.
1991 October A Fund-raising campaign named "Air-con in May" was launched.
1992 21st February A Fund-raising Walkathon took place at Shing Mun Reservoir.
May Air-conditioners were installed in all classrooms.
1994 August Our Principal, Rev. Bro. Anthony Cheng, began to run the school as our fifth Principal.
2nd December The one-year celebration programme for the 40th Anniversary began with an Opening Ceremony in the school playground.
1995 September The enrolment of students was 1216.
October The Prefect Association was set up.
18th-19th Nov. To celebrate the 40th Anniversary, our third Open Day, namely "Education, a Mission of Love", was held.
1st December The Closing Ceremony of the 40th Anniversary was presided over by His Eminence Cardinal John Baptist Wu, Bishop of Hong Kong, in the school playground and the Celebration Dinner of 104 tables took place at the Ocean City Restaurant.
1996 April The 40th Anniversary memorial Album "Mission", our 6th issue, was published.
August An air-conditioning system, donated by our alumnus, was installed in the School Hall.
1997 5th December The first SFX Night was held in Champagnat Hall.
1998 March Our school was approved to be one of the E.M.I. schools in Hong Kong.
10th October The Ruby Jubilee Celebration of Rev. Bro. Denis Condado, the Golden Jubilee Celebration of Rev. Bro. Bosco Wei and the Silver Jubilee Celebration of Rev. Bro. Paul Saw was held in Champagnat Hall.
November Fund-Raising Campaign for Installation of Information Technology Equipment was launched.
1999 March IT equipment was installed in every classroom.
18th April Blessed Marcellin Champagnat was canonized by His Holiness Pope John Paul II in St. Peter's, Rome.
5th June The canonization celebration in Hong Kong was held on the day before the Feast Day of the Blessed Marcellin Champagnat.
29th December Our second Principal, Rev. Brother Vincent Kunert passed away at the age of 82, after 65 years as a Marist Brother.
2000 April The optical fibre network in the school campus was completed.
October The Student Union was established and took the place of the Prefect Association.
2nd-3rd December To celebrate the 45th Anniversary, our fourth Open Day, with the theme "Mission 2000", was held.
7th December The Celebration Dinner of 45th Anniversary took place at the Ocean Palace Night Club and Restaurant.
2001 2nd June The Parent-Teacher Association was established.
July The 45th Anniversary memorial Album "Mission 2000", our 7th issue, was published.
2002 September The Reading Enhancement Scheme was implemented. Reading lessons were first introduced to Form one students.
The Staff Appraisal System was introduced.
8th October The construction work of a new wing began under the School Improvement Programme (SIP).
2003 July The construction of wireless LAN coverage in the whole school campus was completed.
September The Language Enhancement Scheme was introduced and keeping the reading scheme as an element.
2004 2nd October The Thanksgiving Eucharistic Celebration of Brother Denis Condado for his 75th Anniversary of Religious Profession and Brother Rudolf Urban for his 50th Anniversary of Religious Profession was held in Champagnat Hall.
4th December The one-year celebration programme for the 50th Anniversary was launched with the Blessing and Inauguration of the Golden Jubilee Wing.
18th December SFX50 Games Day was held.
2005 27th February SFX50 Walkathon took place at Shing Mun Reservoir.
14th March Handover of the Jubilee Wing.
29th-30th October SFX50 Open Day, the fifth Open Day of our school, was held.
3rd December The SFX Golden Jubilee Banquet took place at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.
2006 May With the donation of a former student, the school library was renovated and renamed “Gilbert Library”.
20th May Our first Principal, Rev. Brother Kenny Doheny, passed away at the age of ninety-four, after seventy-eight years as a Marist Brother.
August The fifth principal, Rev. Bro. Anthony Cheng, retired and took up new duties in the Training Centre in Malaysia.
October The 50th Anniversary Commemorative Album, “Once a Xaverian, Always a Xaverian”, our eighth issue, was published.
2007 3rd March The SFXC Alumni Association was established.
April Our beloved Rev. Bro. Denis Condado, after the 78th year of his religious profession, passed away at the 95th year of his age.
June SFXC Foundation Ltd. was corporatized to adopt a two-tier structure comprising the Board of Directors and the Management Committee.
August For the first time, our school, together with St. Francis Xavier’s School, Tsuen Wan, jointly organized New Teachers Induction Program.
2008 January Establishment of SFXC Ambassador Scheme to appraise academically outstanding students in junior levels.
15th May The Swimming Gala was resumed in Kowloon Tsai Swimming Pool.
29th May The third general meeting of Marist School Leaders of China Province took place in our school Hall.
September Our school joined the Quality School Improvement Project launched by the Education Research Unit of CUHK.
2009 March Student Exchange Program started whereby senior level students of SFXC and SFXS, TW, joined the program
September The senior secondary curriculum was re-structured to cope with the 3-3-4 academic framework.
9th-13th November External School Review was conducted
3rd December The one-year celebration programme for the 55th Anniversary was launched with the main theme of “We Thank, We Love, We Pass On”.
2010 March The “Mentoring Program”, in which ex-students from various walks of life shared their workplace experience with our students, was launched.
August Our sixth principal, Mr. Yuen Chi Fai, retired after his thirty-eight years of services.
30th-31st October To mark the 55th anniversary, the Open Day was held.
2011 September The school joined the Optimization of Class Structure. For each level, classes were reduced from 5 to 4.
December “Forever SFX”, jointly organized by SFXC, SFXS, TW and MSAA, was held.
2012 July First cohort of HKDSE Graduation, with 41% admission rate to local university degree programmes.
June The renovation work of the Marist graveyard at St. Raphael’s Catholic Cemetery was completed, and a Piety Recess Prayer Liturgy was held to commemorate all the departed Marist Brothers who had served in Hong Kong.
2013 June The renovation work of the Marist graveyard at St. Raphael’s Catholic Cemetery was completed, and a Piety Recess Prayer Liturgy was held to commemorate all the departed Marist Brothers who had served in Hong Kong.
July St. Francis Xavier’s College was honoured to be one of the spots of the Bruce Lee Way. A Bruce Lee plague has been positioned on the wall of St. Francis Xavier’s College at the junction of Sycamore Street and Maple Street.
August The seventh principal, Mr. Ho Ting, retired
31st August The Incorporated management Committee of St. Francis Xavier’s College was set up.
7th November Graduates of 1963 came back to SFXC for a warm visit.
30th November The first Information Day was held for primary school parents and students to know more about SFXC and its policy on F.1 Admission.
2014 August With the generous support from the SFXC Foundation Ltd., a new air-conditioning system was installed in the school hall.
December The one-year celebration programme for the 60th Anniversary of our school with the theme ‘In the way of the Marists’ is launched.
6th December With the theme 'In the Way of the Marists', the 60th Anniversary Celebration began with a Thanksgiving Mass and Opening Ceremony in the morning and a Basin Feast in the evening.
2015 6th March The SFXC60 Walkathon was successfully held.
March A poll was conducted and students chose their new winter school jacket.
11th July The SFXC60 Talentine show was held at the Hong Kong Arts Centre Shouson Theatre in Wan Chai.
15th November Our 4th principal, Br. Bosco Wei, passed away at the age of 87, after 67 years of his religious profession.
21st & 22nd November SFX60 Open Day, the seventh Open Day of our school, was held.
3rd December The Thanksgiving Mass officially ended the 60th Anniversary Celebration.
6th December The SFX60 Banquet took place at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.
2016 March The 60th Anniversary School Album, our 7th issue, was published.
April A fund-raising campaign which aimed at upgrading the living environment of the Marist Brothers was held.
3rd December A joint-school walkathon (SFXC and SFXS) to raise fund for the Marist Brothers was held.
2017 January The first stage of renovating the 4 rooms for student accommodation in the Brothers Quarter was completed.
2nd January Marist 200 Thanksgiving Mass in St. Francis of Assisi Church
Blessing of the Marist Heritage Gallery.
Marist 200 Basin Feast in our playground.
21st & 22nd February The first Student Exchange Programme with a girl school was held. 8 students from Tak Nga Secondary School attended 2 days of schooling in SFXC.
16th - 19th April Four teams of baskeball players from Malaysia, the Philippines, SFXC and SFXS competed for the Marist 200 Basketball Tournament. The Malaysia team got the championship.
7th June Our Supervisor, Br. Joseph Cheung, passed away at the age of 85, after 65 years of his religious profession.
24th - 28th July Students from Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong Marist schools joined the Marist Youth Camp which was held in SFXC.
2nd & 3rd November The first Student Exchange Programme with Beihong Senior High School, Shanghai, was held. 18 students from Shanghai attended 2 days of schooling in SFXC.
2nd December SFXC Foundation Ball was reorganized in Kowloon Shangri-La Hotel after stopping for 17 years.
12th - 19th December The first Student Exchange Programme with Malaysia Catholic High School was held. 4 students from Malaysia attended a week of schooling in SFXC.
2018 February To give an account of the mission of the Marist Brothers in China, the book 'Dawn of the Word in Silence' was published.
October External School Review was conducted.
2019 April Exchange and Sister Bond Establishment with Beihong Senior High School, Shanghai.
2020 February School suspension due to the pandemic of COVID19. School started offering Zoom lessons.
july Due to the pandemic, the school term was intended to extend to the end of July. The scale of the final examination was trimmed down to cope with Zoom lesson arrangement.
December Due to the pandemic, all 65th Anniversary Celebration activities were cancelled.
2021 June The new STEM Room cum Computer Room was completed.
August Our eighth principal, Mr. Iu Kwong Chi, retired after his thirty-five years of services.
2022 February Air conditioning was installed in the covered playground.
March Whole-day lesson was resumed after a long period of pandemic.
August To accommodate the Special Vacation as announced by EDB, the school term is extended to 8 August 2022.
September The Multi-Media Learning Centre (MMLC) was fully renovated.