Claretian Fr. Peter Chao and the Lepers

In coordination with our Jesuit friends, Fr. Peter Chao, CMF collaborates in this ministry. From November 24 to December 3, Fr. Peter is in Xichang, Sichuan Province.

You will remember this Chinese Province because it was here that the terrible earthquake happened a few months back. Xichang is in the south of the province and what is interesting is that it is the satellite launch center of China.

China’s satellite launch site in Xichang
But Fr. Peter is heading for another corner. Away from the city and in a remote place in the mountains are a group of dedicated Religious Sisters, “Missionary Oblates of the Holy Family,” who care for the many lepers and their families. Fr. Peter is giving a retreat to them these days. A group of about 50 Sisters came from different leprosaria to refresh their souls during these days.

Jojo and his Cantonese

You will remember that Fr. Jojo Ancheril, CMF had started studying the difficult Cantonese language and is still immersed in this task.

He shares with us:

As I come to the end of the 4th semester learning Cantonese I feel happy and satisfied. The most joyful and satisfactory part of my stay in Hong Kong is that I am able to celebrate Holy Mass and administer the sacraments of reconciliation and anointing of the sick (in Cantonese). When people come with their broken hearts and minds, even my broken Cantonese becomes a ray of hope and joy for them. And it makes me very happy and satisfied. These days I also had lot of opportunities to be with different people from different walks of life. And being able to help them in little ways makes me very happy. Sometimes I feel like the father of the prodigal son. When our brothers and sisters with a repentant heart turn back to God, will it not be the most satisfactory moment of our priestly life? I would say yes! And I have experienced this most satisfactory moment of our priestly life here in Hong Kong. I thank God for giving me such opportunities. Of course it is very hard to learn Cantonese but these experiences help me to be more persistent and faithful. And I sincerely thank all those who support and encourage me to work in this promised land of China.

The Gospel with Ñ

Since there are no Spanish-speaking priests in Shanghai, the community invites a priest every month and it takes a good two hours by plane to reach there.

Fr. Paco Carin, CMF, who usually attends to this community, sends us this report:

Every third Saturday of the month the Spanish-speaking Catholic community of Shanghai meets to celebrate the Sunday Mass in Spanish at the San Pedro parish that welcomes us. On other Sundays everyone goes to the church of their choice and selects the language they want. English, French, German, Korean are some of the languages in which the Sunday Mass is celebrated in Shanghai. Many also choose to attend the Mass in Chinese language, and there are many churches to choose from.

The Spanish-speaking community in Shanghai grows without haste but without pause. Spanish-speaking people in Shanghai are also well versed in English and can easily choose an English Mass and develop a bond with that community. Still many prefer to have a Mass in Spanish every month. Speaking in their own language they develop a deep spiritual bond. Many say that before coming to China their Christianity was quite lukewarm, but after arriving here the cultural shock impels them in certain way to return to their cultural roots, to the places that even if not perfect are familiar.
The community is quite mobile too because with the exception of those who by choice or because of marriage decided to emigrate to China, the majority are students and workers who usually are in Shanghai for a number of years, and then move on to other places, countries or back to their place of origin following the decision of the company they work for. Even if their departure makes everyone “sad,” we know that we have fulfilled our objective – to continue being faithful to the mandate of Jesus to go and announce and live the Gospel in the midst of the world.
You are welcome to visit us when you come to Shanghai.

Shanghai is the largest city in China in terms of population and one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world, with over 20 million people in its extended metropolitan area. Located on China’s central eastern coast near the mouth of the Yangtze River, the city is administered as a municipality with province-level status.

Economic reforms in 1990 have resulted in intense development and financing, and in 2005 Shanghai became the world's busiest cargo port.

The city is an emerging tourist destination renowned for its historical landmarks such as the Bund and Xintiandi, its modern and ever-expanding Pudong skyline including the Oriental Pearl Tower, and its new reputation as a center of culture and design. Today, Shanghai is mainland China’s center for commerce and finance, and has been described as the “showpiece” of the world's fastest-growing economy.

A Bible for US$2.00

A project is under way to produce the Pastoral Bible, “Christian Community Bible,” at a very affordable price to be distributed in the Philippines and India. It is a result of the latest Synod on the Word of God and the desire of the Philippine Bishops to place 5 million copies of the Bible in the home of every Catholic family in the Philippines. What it pains us is that the Biblical Commission has chosen to distribute not a Catholic edition solely because of economic reason.

The Pastoral Bible Foundation (PBF), a Claretian enterprise, is printing the first 30,000 copies of a “cheap” edition of the “Christian Community Bible” to be sold at just U$S 2.00 (1,728 pages, size 120 x 180 mm).
We cannot do it alone! YOU can help us bring the Good News to the poorest of the poor… please contact: rossa6@gmail.com

Meanwhile plans are also under way to make the Spanish Pastoral Bible, “La Biblia de Nuestro Pueblo,” available online.

Bible Study Online

You have no excuse now. If you are really interested, you can take a whole Bible course in the internet for free.

Under the guidance of Msgr. Marcel Gervais you can take the JOURNEY course. It is an interactive program that will challenge you to give the “right” answer when you take the simple test… and you will know if your answer is not correct. Let’s see if you dare! Here is the link: journey.kaleren.com

The program is free, but you have to register. And it is available in English and Chinese.

The visit of an old friend…

Archbishop Orlando Quevedo, OMI, (center) former President of the Bishop’s Conference of the Philippines, came to Macau as part of the Secretariat of FABC (Federation of Asian Bishops Conference) and spent a few hours with us. We spoke to him about the Word of God and the need to give back to our people the Good News in an affordable way.

Archbishop Quevedo participated in the last Synod of the Word of God. This is what he said during the Synod:

ARCHBISHOP ORLANDO B. QUEVEDO OMI OF COTABATO, PHILIPPINES, SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE FEDERATION OF ASIAN BISHOPS' CONFERENCES (FABC).

“God spoke His Word, especially for the sake of the poor. He was their refuge and liberator. ... Incredibly, rich in a marvelous mosaic of ancient cultures and religions, we in Asia are nevertheless a continent of the poor, of economic and political imbalances, of ethnic division and conflict. Our profound sense of transcendence and harmony is being eroded by a globalizing secular and materialist culture. But the Word of God in Asia is calling to the Father in the Holy Spirit thousands of small communities of the poor. And the poor in turn are heeding God’s Word. In so doing they are building a ‘new way of being Church’ – really an old way – the way of the early Jerusalem community. ... For them the Word of God is faith-empowering, urging them to participate actively within the Church and in social transformation. They are Basic Ecclesial Communities, renewing families, parishes and dioceses into vibrant communities, witnessing to the Word of God, quite often in a hostile multi-religious environment. They are communities of solidarity and fellowship at the grassroots, effectively challenging in their own little way the modern culture of secularism and materialism.”

Cardinal Zen remembers Bishop Jin Peixian of Shenyang, urges Chinese Church to unity

by Card. Joseph Zen Ze-kiun
With a text published in the diocesan weekly Sunday Examiner, the bishop of Hong Kong remembers the bishop of Shenyang (Liaoning), Jin Peixian, who died on November 4.

Hong Kong (Asianews/SE) - Between 1993 and 1996, I was lucky enough to be able to go to Shenyang to teach at the seminary. At that time, it was enclosed in the same area as the bishop's house and the cathedral office. I enjoyed the big family atmosphere there. Of course, it was due to the fact that Bishop Jin Peixian was the head of a big family. I especially admired the love and concern that Bishop Jin expressed towards the unofficial community. The cathedral of Shenyang is an impressive Gothic structure. But on the other side of the bishop's house was a small chapel (traditionally the bishop's private chapel and actually not that small).

Bishop Jin allowed the unofficial Church community to use this and welcomed its old priest to meals and to live with the priests of the official Church community.

Every morning, when the gate opened, the Catholics of the official community went to the cathedral while those from the unofficial community went to the chapel. The two groups ignored each other and yet showed no animosity. It was a pity that the Catholics of the unofficial community did not even greet the bishop when they met him, but he did not mind. Moreover, he defended them before the government, saying that they were also believers and entitled to enjoy his care.

Remembering the example of this good pastor, I feel emboldened to say a few words to the bishops of the official Church and to the unofficial community, even though what I have to say may not be pleasing to them:

1) I hope the bishops of the official community have the same welcoming heart as Bishop Jin had towards the unofficial community, to appreciate them, to be tolerant and to encourage mutual understanding and communion and not force them to join in the structure of the official community.

2) I hope the priests and Catholics of the unofficial community show respect towards the legitimate bishops of the officiail community and abstain from harsh criticism. While the government has not changed its policy towards the Church, it may not be a suitable moment to join the structure of the official Church. However, under the leadership of the unofficial bishops or vicars capitular, there should be an increase in dialogue, reconciliation and cooperation with the official community.

I am sure this is the hope of the Holy Father. In this way, we will be laying a solid foundation for the full unity of tomorrow. The structural unity presupposes certain conditions and these are beyond our control. But we can prepare for the coming of this beautiful day.

May the example of Bishop Jin inspire us in brotherly love. May he bless us from heaven.

Sad news…

Minutes after sending last month’s newsletter we received the news about the fatal accident of Fr. Moraleda in the Philippines. Most probably you may have received this news already.

You can check: www.moraleda.wordpress.com to leave your message and see how well loved he was.
The words of the great theologian Karl Rahner console us:
The great and sad mistake of many people… is to imagine that those whom death has taken leave us. They do not leave us. They remain! Where are they? In darkness? Oh, no! It is we who are in darkness. We do not see them, but they see us. Their eyes, radiant with glory, are fixed upon our eyes.

Welcome to Our October 2008 Newsletter

Since we started sending this blog in April 2006, we have mainly shared with you about the work that the Claretians in China do. The newsletter is also published in Spanish at: www.noticiasdemacau.blogspot.com

In this issue we are adding some news about the presence and work of other missionaries. These selected news are taken from the U.S. Catholic China Bureau, “China Church Quarterly,” a publication that we highly recommend. You can read it online at: www.usccb.net or write and subscribe at: chinabur@shu.edu.

China Church Quarterly – Summer 2008

The 23rd National Catholic China Conference, organized by U.S. Catholic China Bureau and cosponsored by the Ricci Institute of Chinese Western-Cultural History, met at Belleville, IL, on the weekend of October 3-5. Some 75 participants came from all across the USA and China, as well as from the UK/Council of Churches’ China Program. Almost half the group were Chinese – including 23 of the clergy, religious and catholic lay graduate students from China currently in studies in the USA.

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The 7th Plenary Assembly of the Catholic Bible Federation [CBF] highlighted support for biblical pastoral ministry in China as a priority for the next 6 years. NE Asia Regional Coordinator Cecilia CHUI spoke of the “great hunger and thirst for the word of God in China” and the eagerness of pastoral workers from other lands to assist in this field.

Emphasis will be on biblical pastoral formation of clergy, religious and laity; printing and distributing affordable Bibles in various formats and providing supplemental biblical pastoral materials; promoting dialogue and a service of love to achieve the mission of reconciliation in light of God’s work; and networking to support this ministry, especially among Chinese engaged in biblical studies abroad. Three priests from China – two of whom are abroad - and including Rev. Joseph ZHANG Wenxi at CUA in the USA – were among participants of the CBF Assembly held in Tanzania last July.

Rev. Joseph ZHANG Wenxi is also one of the editors of our Chinese Pastoral Bible.

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Maryknoll Education Program
In mid September the Maryknoll Society (USA) sponsored Education and Formation Project, welcomed five new participants: 3 sisters and 2 priests from four dioceses in China. Following a period of English language updating at Gonzaga University in Spokane, WA, they will begin graduate studies in various disciplines determined by their diocesan bishops and religious superiors in China.

These students join 25 others already in the program [11 priests, 10 sisters, 2 seminarians and 2 lay women] from some 14 dioceses. They study at 9 US colleges and universities – mostly pursuing master’s degrees, while 6 are doing doctoral degrees.

In the past year some 9 graduates returned to their respective dioceses after completing their studies.

They join more than 75 others who have completed studies through the Maryknoll Project and are actively serving the Church in China in various key ministries. Among them five have been named diocesan bishops or auxiliaries by the Holy Father; and three Sisters elected as major superiors of their congregations. Many of the priests serve as faculty at China’s major regional seminaries, and as spiritual directors, rectors, and deans of study. In addition to those who have initiated cutting edge pastoral, social and medical ministries, several sisters are serving as formation directors for other young sisters.

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AITECE IN CHINA

AITECE is the Association for International Teaching, Educational and Curriculum Exchange
www.aitece.com

This year AITECE celebrates 20 years of providing professional education service in major colleges and universities – especially in the more economically disadvantaged regions in central and southwestern China. The program is coordinated by the Columban Fathers Society – the Irish missionary congregation primarily dedicated to mission in China.

In June 2008, the Columban Fathers relocated their central administrative headquarters from Dublin to Hong Kong to better serve their growing presence in Asia.
Since 1988, some 329 teachers from 16 English-speaking countries have served as AITECE teachers, nearly 90% of them for two years. Of this group, 58 were from the USA, applying through USCCB which serves at AITECE/USA liaison to recruit, facilitate and provide orientation for teacher candidates.

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THE RICCI INSTITUTE

THE RICCI INSTITUTE FOR CHINESE-WESTERN CULTURAL HISTORY, named for the Italian Jesuit Matteo Ricci, was founded in 1984 as a non-profit interdisciplinary research center. Dedicated to studying the history of religious, philosophical, scientific, educational, and cultural exchange between China and the West with emphasis on the Jesuit missions to the Ming and Qing courts, the Ricci Institute supports visiting scholars, publishes books and articles, and sponsors symposiums and seminars.

Incorporated into the University of San Francisco as part of the Center for the Pacific Rim in 1988, the Ricci Institute is a leading center for study of Christianity in China from the Nestorian era through the present day, and maintains scholarly contacts and cooperation with institutions throughout the world.

The Ricci Institute is the site of a major internet database project, The 21st Century Roundtable on the History of Christianity in China, and is home to a unique research library of more than 75,000 volumes in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and various European languages focused on the history of East-West relations.

Visit the Ricci Institute website www.usfca.edu for more information about its resources and projects.