Benedictine Sister Telan (Christine) Hu, 90, died Dec. 7 at Saint Scholastica Convent, St. Cloud. The Eucharist of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 19, at the Sacred Heart Chapel, Saint Benedict’s Monastery, St. Joseph, with burial in the monastery cemetery. Friends may call at Saint Scholastica Convent on Monday, Dec. 18, for a 3 p.m. prayer service followed by visitation until 4:15 p.m. or for a vigil prayer service at 7 p.m. at Saint Benedict’s Monastery. Visitation continues at 9 a.m. until the time of the funeral on Dec. 19.
Christine Hu (Jui-Chiao, her Chinese name) was born Dec. 16, 1932, the second child of Zi-Liang Hu and Liao Shan in Taipei, Taiwan. She had two brothers and one sister. She attended Peng-Lai Grade School and Blessed Imelda’s School in Taipei. Christine entered Saint Benedict’s Monastery in St. Joseph April 6, 1953, and was received into the novitiate June 16, 1954, as Sister Telan. She made first monastic profession July 11, 1955, perpetual monastic profession July 11, 1958, and celebrated her golden jubilee July 11, 2005, and her diamond jubilee in 2015.
Sister Telan received a bachelor’s degree in English with minors in biology and philosophy from the College of Saint Benedict in St. Joseph in 1958. At the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, she earned a master’s degree in education with a minor in English. She also studied theology and linguistics at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., Chinese language at Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey, Chinese literature at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu, Hawaii, and Stanford University in Stanford, California, expository writing at St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, and theology at Saint John’s University in Collegeville.
An educator in many areas, Sister Telan first taught biology at St. Boniface High School in Cold Spring. In Taiwan, she taught at the National Taiwan University, the Junior Nursing College, and National Cheng-Chi University. She then taught Chinese at College of St. Benedict. In 1970, Sister Telan returned to Taiwan as regional superior in Tanshui and taught English at Fu-Jen Catholic University. In 1972, she returned to CSB and taught Chinese, as well as various other subjects, and served as foreign student advisor and as director of the China Study Program. In 2005, Sister Telan retired from teaching at CSB and assisted as hostess for the Haehn Museum and worked for Monastic Enterprises.
Sister Telan is survived by the sisters in her Benedictine community and her nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, her brothers, Xian-rong and Xian-ging, and her sister and brother-in-law, Jui-pi (Pang-ji) Li.
Please direct memorial gifts to the Sisters of the Order of Saint Benedict Outreach Ministries.