Scholarly Panels
Contributions from academics drawing on the method and resources of their respective disciplines.
Panels / topics proposed to date:
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Sino-Vatican Relations in Historical Perspective
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Sociological Perspectives on Christianity
in Contemporary China -
The Sinicisation of Religion in China Today
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Environmental Issues and the Faith Communities of China
Click this button for a form to enter:
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suggestions for panels and topics
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suggestions concerning speakers (including yourself)
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submission of brief abstracts
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other suggestions or feedback
Note: Panel organizers (only) will have conference registration fees waived in appreciation for their service to the gathering.
Presentations and
workshops
Discussion forums and practical advice from people involved in the life of the Church in China and in the Chinese diaspora.
Practical workshops and presentations requested to date:
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Faith and the Current Generation
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Social Services: Making a Contribution in China Society
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The American University Context
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Relations among Christians and China
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Paths to Discipleship
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Religion in the City
Click this button for a form to enter:
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suggestions for workshops or presentations
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suggestions concerning speakers (including yourself)
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other suggestions or feedback
Note: Presenters will have their conference registration fees waived in appreciation for their service to the gathering.
Conference 30 Provisional Program
(subject to change)
(speakers from mainland China are not included yet)
The US-China Catholic Association invites clergy, scholars, students, and lay leaders to gather for reflection, dialogue, and friendship as we explore faith, trust, and mission within the Chinese Catholic experience.
The 30th International Conference will take place at the University of St. Thomas (UST) in Houston, TX, on July 31–August 2, 2026. The Conference Theme is "Nourishing Trust and Friendship: Following the Way of Christ."
All conference attendees and participants register via the registration form.
For more information, contact conference@uschinacatholic.org.
Friday (7/31) Evening
3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Registration and Social
5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
BBQ Dinner
6:00 PM – 6:20 PM
Asian Dance
6:20 PM – 6:30 PM
6:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Keynote Speech
Nourishing Trust and Friendship: Chinese Catholics in America Following the Way of Christ
Fr. Thomas Betz, OFM CAP., St. John the Evangelist Church, Philadelphia
7:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Dessert & Social
Saturday (8/1)
7:30 AM – 8:15 AM
Breakfast
8:15 AM – 8:30 AM
8:30 AM – 8:45 AM
8:45 AM – 9:45 AM
Keynote Speech
Transforming Guanxi: Chinese Christian Transnational Ties and the Making of Social and Spiritual Capital
9:45 AM – 10:15 AM
Tea Break
10:15 AM – 11:45 AM
Parallel Session 1
10:15 AM – 11:45 AM
Parallel Session 1a — Faith Formation Missions in China
Promoting communicative catechesis in China based on Our Common Journey and Catechesis
Gabriella Yang, Verbiest Foundation, Belgium
Mission experiences of a Chinese Religious Sister
Cuiliqn Jiang, Catholic Philosophy and Theology Seminary, MA
A Reflection on Holistic and Practical Formation in Chinese Seminaries
Xiaoping Guo, Sheshan Catholic Seminary, Shanghai
10:15 AM – 11:45 AM
Parallel Session 1b — Pastoral and Social Service in China
Nourishing Faith and Fellowship: Walking in the Way of Christ - Faith Warms Midlife Crisis
Sr. Shuangying Shen, Loyola University, Chicago
Witnessing through Service, Communion through Companionship: The Growth Journey of a Catholic Senior Home in Mainland China
Guoqin Zhu, Fuzhou Luoyuan County Loving Heart (爱心) Senior Home
11:45 AM – 1:00 PM
Lunch
1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
Parallel Session 2
1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
Parallel Session 2a — Accompanying Chinese International Students: Friendship, learning, and meaning
The role of campus resources and opportunities to create a culture of meaningful encounter with Chinese international students.
Rosie Shawver, Catholic Campus Ministry Association
Building a Home for Faith at the University of Washington
Pursuing Christ Together - Equipping American Students to Journey with their Chinese Peers
Ms. Heidi Kempt Chew, Case Western Reserve University
1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
Parallel Session 2b — Living the Faith in the Chinese context
Confucius and God: Walking on the way, Being a Pilgrim
Fr. Qiufeng Li, Zhaoxian Diocese
Intercultural dialogue and inculturation; Christian–Chinese encounter; theological and historical integration
Dr. Chiaretto Yan, University of Saint Joseph, Macau
Psychological Integration and Spiritual Maturity among Catholic Religious Women in Mainland China
Sr. Xin Yu, FDIHM, Ateneo de Manila University
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Parallel Session 2c — Workshop
Fragmented Visions, Future Hopes: Civil War China in Lost Films by American Jesuit Missionaries
Dr. Joseph Ho, University of Michigan
2:30 PM – 3:00 PM
Tea Break
3:00 PM – 4:30 PM
Parallel Session 3
3:00 PM – 4:30 PM
Parallel Session 3a — Synodality, Vatican and China
Synodality and the Sinicization of Catholicism: Parish and Diocesan Observations
The Vision of the Inclusive Oneness of China and the Vatican
Fr. Bit-shing Abraham Chiu, Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, Sacramento
3:00 PM – 4:30 PM
Parallel Session 3b — Studies of Catholic Religious Orders in China
Total Sacrifice, True Charity, Constant Joy: The Spirituality of Vincent Lebbe and the first Chinese Religious Orders
Dr. Stephanie Wong, Villanova University
Dreams of a Young Republic: The American Vincentians in China
Dr. John Harney, Centre College
Scholarly Storytelling: Missionaries in Twentieth Century China
Katherine Koch, Independent writer
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Parallel Session 3c — Workshop
Catholic Bible Study in English and Chinese for the Growth and Renewal of the Church
4:45 PM – 5:15 PM
Bus ride to Ascension Church
5:30 PM – 6:30 PM
Mass and Matteo Ricci Award
The Most Reverend Joe Vasquez, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, Ascension Chinese Mission Church
6:30 PM – 7:00 PM
Bus ride to Ocean Palace for Banquet
7:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Chinese Banquet at Ocean Palace
8:30 PM – 9:00 PM
Bus ride back to University of St. Thomas dormitory
Sunday (8/2)
7:30 AM – 8:15 AM
Breakfast
8:15 AM – 8:30 AM
Morning prayer and announcement
8:30 AM – 9:30 AM
Keynote Speech
9:30 AM – 10:00 AM
Tea Break
10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
Parallel Session 4
10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
Parallel Session 4a — Catholic Faith Across Cultures
Beyond East and West: John C. H. Wu and the Transfiguration of Cultures
Fr. Dr. Emanuele Angiola, Fu Jen Catholic University, Taipei
The Value of Seeking Truth in the Conversions of St. Augustine and St. Edith Stein
Sr. Sophia Suena Li, Boston College
The Faith Journey of Chinese Catholics in Jamaica, 1900 to 1957
10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
Parallel Session 4b — Christianity and friendship across cultures
Christianity in China from 17th century
Dr. Naomi Thurston, Chinese University of Hong Kong
Centrifugal Transformations of Religion in the Secular: Endō Shūsaku’s Deep River
Edith Zhao, Chinese University of Hong Kong
Upholding the Word of Life: Nourishing Trust and Friendship through Manchu Bible Research
Adam Joel Ensign, Insignia Cultural Endeavors
Matteo Ricci and Friendship in Contemporary Society
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Parallel Session 4c — Workshop
Chinese Martial Contributions to Prayer
11:30 AM – 12:00 PM
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Lunch