Antonio Riganti
| The Very Reverend Antonio Riganti VG PIME | |
|---|---|
| Vicar General of the Diocese of Hong Kong | |
| Church | Roman Catholic Church |
| See | Hong Kong |
| Other posts | Vicar Delegate of Hong Kong (1934-1942) Diocesan Administrator of Hong Kong (1951) Rector of St. Joseph's Church (1927-1932, 1934-1942) Rector of St. Margaret's Church (1950-1961) Procurator of PIME (1950, 1961-1965) |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 18 March 1916 |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 27 October 1893 Sesto Calende, Varese, Italy |
| Died | 20 July 1965 (aged 71) St. Paul's Hospital, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong |
| Buried | St. Michael's Catholic Cemetery, Happy Valley, Hong Kong |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Chinese name | |
| Traditional Chinese | 戴遐齡 |
| Simplified Chinese | 戴遐龄 |
| Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Dài, Xiá Líng Yue: Cantonese Jyutping Daai3, Haa4 Ling4 | |
Antonio Riganti, PIME (Chinese: 戴遐齡, 21 October 1893 – 20 July 1965) was an Italian Roman Catholic priest of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions who served as the Vicar General of the Diocese of Hong Kong.[1]
Biography
Early life
On 27 October 1893, Antonio Riganti was born in Sesto Calende, Varese, a town near Milan, Italy.
Priestly ministry
He entered the Milan Archdiocesan seminary in 1905, and later joined the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions in 1913. He was ordained priest on 18 March 1916.
He was first sent to Albania to serve as a military chaplain during World War I.
Riganti arrived in Hong Kong in January 1920. His first assignment was the choir master to the Cathedral. In 1923, he was assigned to teach in the seminary in Hong Kong.
He became Rector of St. Joseph's Church in Garden Road in 1927; he held this post for over 21 years.
Riganti was recalled to Milan as the Assistant of the PIME Superior General in September 1948, but he was permitted to return to Hong Kong in November of the same year, where he became the Rector of St. Margaret's Church in Happy Valley, and the Procurator of PIME in Hong Kong.[2][3]
Vicar General and Diocesan Administrator
After the death of the Bishop of Hong Kong, Enrico Valtorta, on 4 September 1951, while the Coadjutor Bishop of Hong Kong, Lorenzo Bianchi, was being under arrest by the Communist Government in China, Antonio Riganti was appointed the Diocesan Administrator of Hong Kong, with the full authority and power which is equivalent to a Diocesan Bishop by the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith.
When Bianchi was released in December 1952, he confirmed the appointment of Riganti as the Vicar General of Hong Kong.
Music
Riganti was endowed with musical talent since childhood,[4] and composed several liturgical hymns. He also was frequently consulted by other composers in Hong Kong.
Later years and Death
In September 1959, Riganti resigned his position as Vicar General, on grounds of declining health. In September 1961, he resigned as the Rector of St. Margaret’s Church due to his serious illness.
Riganti died on 20 July 1965 in St. Paul’s Hospital, Causeway Bay, due to lung cancer. He was 71 year old.[5][6] His remains were buried in St. Michael's Catholic Cemetery, Happy Valley, Hong Kong.
References
- Back to citation "Rev. RIGANTI, Antonius 戴遐齡神父". www.archives1841.hk (in English and Chinese). Archived from the original on 25 July 2024. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
- Back to citation Criveller, Gianni (2008). From Milan to Hong Kong: 150 Years of Mission: Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions, 1858-2008. Vox Amica Press. ISBN 978-9889965662.
- Back to citation Criveller, Gianni (2013). 500 Years of Italians in Hong Kong & Macau. Società Dante Alighieri di Hong Kong. ISBN 978-9881234414.
- Back to citation "Sacred Music Commission, Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong". musicasacra.org.hk. Archived from the original on 23 April 2025. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
- Back to citation "RIGANTI Antonio Fr. P. 戴遐齡神父" (PDF). archives.catholic.org.hk (in English, Chinese, and Italian). Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 April 2016. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
- Back to citation 戴遐齡副主教. archives.catholic.org.hk (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 27 April 2023. Retrieved 20 June 2025.