Nicholas Kao Se Tseien

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Nicholas Kao Se Tseien
Born January 15, 1897 (1897-01-15)
Foochow, Fukien, China
Died December 11, 2007 (aged 110)
Hong Kong
Occupation Catholic priest

Nicholas Kao Se Tseien, Chinese: 高師謙 (January 15, 1897December 11, 2007)[1] was a Chinese Catholic priest living in Hong Kong who was both the oldest Catholic priest in modern times and the oldest ever person to have had a cataract operation.[citation needed]

In 2007, he celebrated his 110th birthday, and, in doing so, he reached supercentenarian status. He was, from October 13, 2007 until his death, the second-oldest man in Asia and the seventh-oldest man in the world.

Born in Fuzhou, Fujian province, Kao, one of four brothers, converted to Roman Catholicism at age 18 while attending a school run by Spanish Dominican friars. Although trained as a teacher and studying law at night, he ultimately decided to become a priest.

His clerical life brought him from China to Taiwan, Malaysia and, finally, Hong Kong. He was a priest in Our Lady of Joy Abbey (Trappist Haven Monastery) on Lantau Island for more than 30 years.

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