A Belgian priest has been awarded a Plum Blossom Card for his service and contributions in Hsinchu County over the past 26 years, the National Immigration Agency said in a statement yesterday.
Father Joseph Emile Corneille Hermans, who came to Taiwan when he was 30 years old and has since been engaged in missionary work in Aboriginal villages in the county, received the special version of the Alien Permanent Resident Certificate (APRC) given to foreign nationals who have made special contributions to Taiwan.
Hermans tirelessly traveled between Jhudong Township (竹東) and communities such as Hsiujuan (秀巒) and Tianpu (田埔) villages in the mountainous Jianshi Township (尖石) to promote social welfare for retirement homes, correctional facilities and underprivileged households, the agency said.
The agency cited Hermans as saying that Taiwan is his home, and that he often feels he loves this land more than even some Taiwanese do.
Receiving the Plum Blossom card ahead of the family-oriented Mid-Autumn Festival was a meaningful form of recognition, he was cited as saying.
Many families in the villages need social support and attention, Hermans said, but while non-governmental organizations provide financial support, the responsibility of a priest is to visit and listen to people, and offer them spiritual support and religious blessings.
Hermans has also helped Aboriginal children.
Seeing that children in the villages often lacked education resources, usually due to family issues or financial difficulties, he organized after-school programs, summer and winter camps, and community services to help them, the agency said.
Huang Ching-chin (黃清欽), the director of the agency’s office in the county, said Hermans qualified for the Plum Blossom Card due to his selfless missionary work in the county and social contributions to rural neighborhoods and Aboriginal villages.
In Hermans’ case, the Plum Blossom Card serves both as an APRC and an acknowledgement of his contributions, Huang said.
Plum Blossom Cards are also granted to foreign nationals who are “senior professionals” or “investment immigrants,” the agency said.
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