LO PA-HONG, GIUSEPPE. - Born in Shanghai on March 27, 1873, he passed the imperial examinations at the age of 18 and devoted himself to industrial and commercial activities. Later, he became general director of the Shanghai Electric and Water Company and general director of the "La Tung" shipping company. Although he was a prominent figure in local finance, as a convinced Catholic he devoted his best energies to works of charity and education.
In Shanghai, he founded St. Joseph’s Hospital (1912), the diocesan section of Catholic Action (1913), Sacred Heart Hospital (1924), Sungkiang Hospital (1926), St. Joseph’s College (1928), Mercy Hospital (1935), Immaculate Heart of Mary Hospital (1936), and the St. Heart Professional Women’s College (1937). In Beijing, he founded the Central Hospital (1918). He personally taught catechism to the poor and prisoners, especially those condemned to death. He served as general president of Catholic Action in China and worked tirelessly to support missions, earning the title of the "Chinese Cottolengo." He received Holy Communion daily and typically served two Masses before beginning his work. The Holy See honored him with the knighthood of the Order of St. Gregory, the rank of Commander of the Order of St. Sylvester, and, uniquely in China, the appointment as honorary chamberlain with the sword and cape. On the evening of December 30, 1937, he was assassinated by two unknown individuals during the Japanese occupation of Shanghai.