Father Yves Moal has received the best gift he could imagine for the 80th birthday- a second-hand store run by his Catholic church in the eastern county of Hualien has risen again from the ashes.
On Wednesday, a Catholic church in Hualien had a simple plaque-unveiling ceremony for its second-hand store.
The store, destroyed by a fire in February, sells clothes, shoes, and toys. The second-hand items are important for the church, because the revenue is spent on caring for mentally challenged children.
Father Yves Moal, originally from France, has been preaching in Taiwan for over 50 years. He has also been taking care of children in Hualien for decades.
He says it’s a miracle that the store was able to reopen just a few months after a fire. Within 36 hours after the news of the fire accident broke, his church received donations of NT$400,000 (US$ 13,333).
It happened to be Father Moal’s 80th birthday when the store reopened.
Former Vice President Chen Chien-jen wished Father Moal a happy birthday. Chen said the warmth of Taiwanese people is what make the island a special place, and that in Hualien, it’s Father Moal who makes the area special.