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
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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.
The Board and Officers of the US-China Catholic Association deeply appreciate the willingness of keynote speakers to share their views and expertise with us.
At the same time, we make clear that the views are not our own. In fact, we deliberately invite people with a range of views to speak, so long as they speak in good faith and in a spirit of mutual respect.
Keynote Speakers
Fr. Thomas Betz, OFM Cap.
St. John the Evangelist Church, Philadelphia, PA
Father Tom Betz is a Capuchin priest, the Pastor of St. John the Evangelist Church in Center City Philadelphia, which includes responsibility for Holy Redeemer Chinese Catholic Church and School.
Nourishing Trust and Friendship:
Chinese Catholics in America Following the Way of Christ
Catholics who have come from China, and Chinese in the United States who have embraced the Catholic faith, share deeply in the Church’s common pilgrimage of hope, discipleship, and community.
Their stories reflect a rich diversity that opens pathways for service, witness, and evangelization. To understand the experience of Chinese Catholics in America is also to recognize the profound role of American Chinatowns, places where culture, faith, resilience, and belonging have taken root.
Together, these narratives illuminate a vibrant and essential chapter in the unfolding story of the Catholic Church in the United States.
Fenggang Yang, Ph.D.
Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
Dr. Yang is Professor of Sociology and the founding Director of the Center on Religion and the Global East at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana. He is the founding Editor of the Review of Religion and Chinese Society. He has been elected and served as the President of the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion (2014-15) and the first President of the East Asian Society for the Scientific Study of Religion (2018-2020). His research focuses on the sociology of religion, religious change in China, and immigrant religion in the United States.
Transforming Guanxi: Chinese Christian Transnational Ties and the Making of Social and Spiritual Capital
The Chinese term guanxi refers to relational ties that shape social life through trust, reciprocity, and moral obligation. Rooted in Confucian ethics, guanxi continues to influence how Chinese people form and sustain relationships. Yet Chinese Christians reinterpret these networks in light of their faith, creating transnational ties that transcend traditional boundaries.
In this keynote, sociologist Fenggang Yang presents empirical findings on distinctive patterns of Chinese Christian transnational connections, showing how these relationships generate both social capital and spiritual capital. By exploring how guanxi is transformed by faith, the talk reveals the creative ways Chinese Christians build communities of meaning and solidarity across borders.
Panel Speakers
Fr. Emanuele Angiola
Fu Jen Catholic University, Taipei
Fr. Emanuele Angiola (安吉恩) is Adjunct Assistant Professor at Fu Jen Catholic University in Taipei and Adjunct Lecturer at the Fu Jen Faculty of Theology of St. Robert Bellarmine. He holds a PhD in Religious Studies from Fu Jen Catholic University (2025). His research focuses on the thought of John C. H. Wu, intercultural theology, and dialogue between Christian faith and Chinese intellectual and spiritual traditions. He also teaches at the Chung Tai Chan Monastery and has served in Taiwan since 2011 as a missionary priest of the Fraternity of St. Charles Borromeo (FSCB).
Beyond East and West: John C. H. Wu and the Transfiguration of Cultures
Emanuele Angiola examines the life and thought of the Chinese Catholic intellectual John C. H. Wu (吳經熊, 1899–1986) as a model for intercultural and interreligious dialogue in a globalized yet fragmented world. Drawing on his 2025 doctoral dissertation in Religious Studies at Fu Jen Catholic University (Taipei), Fr. Angiola proposes a framework described as “Christ Transfiguring Cultures.” Wu’s life and vocation—spanning China, Europe, the Holy See, and the United States—embodied what he called a “diplomacy of love,” grounded in intellectual rigor and spiritual depth. His major works, including Beyond East and West, The Interior Carmel, Fountain of Justice, and Chinese Humanism and Christian Spirituality, articulate a vision in which Christian faith illuminates and fulfills the authentic aspirations present within cultural and religious traditions. Marking the fortieth anniversary of Wu’s death, this presentation invites renewed reflection on his legacy as a witness to harmony, dialogue, and enduring friendship across cultures.
Bede Benjamin Bidlack
Saint Anselm College
Bede Benjamin Bidlack is a Professor of Theology at Saint Anselm College, Manchester, New Hampshire, USA. He received his PhD on Comparative Theology from Boston College in 2011. He is a systematic theologian who looks to Daoist thought to inspire new interpretations of Christian revelation.
Chinese Martial Contributions to Prayer
Professor Bede Benjamin Bidlack explores Chinese martial arts as a contribution to Catholic prayer. The presentation places St. Ignatius of Loyola’s Spiritual Exercises in dialogue with the taiji quan master Chen Weiming (陳微明, 1881–1958), examining how martial discipline can illuminate the discernment of spirits. Drawing on Chen’s principle of “join, stick, and follow,” the session explores how bodily awareness deepens spiritual discernment, making interior movements more perceptible through embodied practice. By comparing Loyola’s language of spiritual “motion” with taiji’s (太极拳) relational responsiveness, Bede Bidlack’s presentation suggests that contemplative action can be cultivated through disciplined physical engagement. Including a brief guided exercise, the session demonstrates how Chinese martial wisdom offers an embodied dimension to Catholic spirituality, enriching discernment, prayer, and transformative engagement with the world. There will be an opportunity for practice to practice the taiji quan principle of “join, stick, and follow”.
Stephen J. Binz
Independent author
Stephen J. Binz is a Catholic biblical scholar and an award-winning author of over sixty books. He offers keynotes, seminars, and workshops at international, national, and regional conferences as well as education for clergy and pastoral leaders. In addition, he frequently leads pilgrimages to biblical sites and sacred places throughout the world. His writing focuses on biblical commentary, biblical theology, and Christian spirituality. As founder and author of Threshold Bible Study, he has written and published forty-six studies for personal and group Bible study. Since 2008, his books have earned eleven awards from the "Excellence in Publishing Awards" of the Association of Catholic Publishers and seven book awards from the Catholic Press Association. Stephen earned graduate degrees at the Pontifical Gregorian University and the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome and Jerusalem. He is an active member of the Society of Biblical Literature and the Catholic Biblical Association.
Catholic Bible Study in English and Chinese for the Growth and Renewal of the Church
In collaboration with Sr. Viktoria Ching-yi Chen, OSU, the series is being translated into Chinese and published in Taiwan for distribution in the People’s Republic of China and other Chinese-speaking communities. His work integrates reading, study, reflection, conversation, and prayer, offering a distinctly Catholic and holistic approach to Scripture. At the USCCA Conference, he will address Catholic Bible study as a foundation for ecclesial renewal and bridge-building between Catholics in China and the United States. The two pillars holding up the Catholic faith are Word and Sacrament, Scripture and Eucharist. He will compare his experiences in the U.S. with what he has learned about Bible study for the Church in China. He will explore the question with the audience the question of How can Bible studies in English and Chinese contribute to friendship and understanding between Catholics in China and the U.S.?
Heidi Kempt Chew
Case Western Reserve University
Dr. Heidi Chew, herself a former international student, has served in ministry to international students for more than thirty years. Her work spans roles as a campus minister, ministry coach, cross-cultural trainer, ESL professor, spiritual director, and speaker in both Catholic and Protestant contexts. She holds a B.Div., M.Div., M.A. in World Evangelization, M.A. in Journalism, M.A. in ESL, and a Ph.D. in Secondary Education with a specialization in Cross-Cultural Training, along with certification as a Spiritual Director in the Ignatian tradition. Her ministry integrates theological formation, intercultural competence, and spiritual accompaniment, equipping students and campus leaders to build Christ-centered, multinational communities. Currently based in Cleveland, Ohio, she continues to mentor and train leaders committed to fostering faith-filled, globally attentive campus ministries.
Pursuing Christ Together – Equipping American Students to Journey with their Chinese Peers
Drawing on more than three decades of ministry experience and current work at Case Western Reserve University, Heidi Kempt Chew explores how American students can be formed to accompany their Chinese peers in authentic friendship and shared discipleship. At a time when Chinese international students often experience isolation, cultural dissonance, and geopolitical suspicion, this presentation proposes a model of Christ-centered, multinational campus community rooted in vision, cross-cultural competence, student leadership, sacramental life, and partnership rather than paternalism. By equipping students to move beyond fear and stereotypes toward curiosity, trust, and shared spiritual growth, the session highlights practical strategies for cultivating communities where Americans and Chinese students learn, serve, and encounter Christ together. Emphasizing collaboration “with” rather than ministry “to,” Heidi presents a framework for forming campus communities that reflect the global Church and nurture lasting faith.
Adam Joel Ensign
Insignia Cultural Endeavors
Adam Ensign earned his BA in Biblical research from Central Christian College of the Bible (2005) after which he resided in Beijing, where he obtained his MA in linguistics from Peking University (2012) and taught at Beijing Language and Culture University (2013–2016) and Renmin University (2016–2025). While serving as a translator for the Palace Museum (2013–2022), he cultivated interdisciplinary expertise through research-intensive projects spanning Chinese art, culture, and history from the Neolithic age to the present Socialist period. He has explored every major administrative district in China, including Tibet and Xinjiang, and visited countless cultural and religious sites throughout Asia. Leveraging his unique background in language scholarship, cultural heritage, and international collaboration, he founded Insignia Cultural Endeavors, L.L.C., in 2025 to assist clients navigate the diverse social ecologies of our planet and encourage durable ventures for global impact.
Upholding the Word of Life: Nourishing Trust and Friendship through Manchu Bible Research
In this presentation, Adam Ensign shares about the two versions of Manchu Biblical texts produced during the Qing dynasty (1644–1911). The first is a collection of Old and New Testament books translated by Louis Antoine de Poirot, S.J. (1735-1813), and the second is the New Testament translated by the Russian orthodox missionary Stepan Vaciliyevich Lipovtsov (1770–1841) and edited by the Protestant writer George Borrow (1803–1881). For over a decade, Adam has undertaken the first comprehensive transliterated corpus of these texts through archival research at the Toyo Bunko (Oriental Library) in Tokyo, Japan, and digital facsimiles from Australia. While summarizing his transcription and analysis, the presentation demonstrates how such scholarship can foster positive collaboration among academic, ethnic, organizational, and religious communities around the globe. By preserving and studying this shared spiritual heritage, he seeks to model how research projects can cultivate dialogue, strengthen trust, and build cooperation across cultural, ecclesial, and institutional boundaries.
Xiaoping Guo
Sheshan Catholic Seminary, Shanghai
Xiaoping Guo, Prof. of a Catholic Seminary in China, focuses on the development of practical theology in contemporary Chinese contexts. Her research centers on laypeople—especially women—and their significant roles and contributions in theology, spirituality, and faith formation within the Chinese Church. She is the author of Faith Blossoming on the Tibetan Plateau: A Brief Study of the Catholic Community in Yanjing (Hong Kong Holy Spirit Study Centre, 2024), “Hope and Challenges of the Catholic Church in China in the Post-Pandemic Era” (HK: Tripod—A Journal on Christianity and Contemporary China, Spring 2023), and with two forthcoming articles on women’s roles in Chinese faith formation. She received her PhD in Theology from Boston College in 2022.
A Reflection on Holistic and Practical Formation in Chinese Seminaries
Sr. Xiaoping Guo reflects on priestly formation in contemporary Chinese seminaries, drawing on more than four decades of ecclesial development in China and several years of direct teaching experience within seminary contexts. While acknowledging significant improvements in infrastructure and academic resources, the presentation identifies ongoing challenges in aligning formation practices with official Church guidelines on priestly formation. Grounded in the spirit of ressourcement encouraged by the Second Vatican Council, she engages key ecclesial documents as the theological framework. Through contextual analysis and constructive critique, Guo proposes practical recommendations for fostering more integrated, holistic, and pastorally responsive formation. These recommendations aim to assist seminaries in reorienting their mission toward faithful, authentic, and contextually attentive priestly preparation, contributing to the long-term vitality and stability of the Church in China.
John Harney
Centre College
Dr. John J. Harney FRHistS, is an Associate Professor of History at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, USA. He came to Centre in 2013 as an assistant professor of history and was awarded tenure and promotion to associate professor in 2019. His scholarly interests include identity formation and colonial and post-colonial relations in East Asia, the history of popular participation in sports in the modern era, Catholicism and Catholic communities in 20th-century China, representations of history in video games, and the wider uses and interpretations of history in popular culture. John founded the Centre College Esports Program in 2019 and served as Director and Head Coach for three years. He remains a supporter of Centre esports and collegiate esports competitions.
Dreams of a Young Republic: The American Vincentians in China
John Harney draws on his recent monograph, Dreams of a Young Republic: The American Vincentians in China, to examine the missionary activity of the American Provinces of the Congregation of the Mission in Jiangxi Province from 1921 through their expulsion in the early 1950s. Replacing French Vincentians after World War I, these missionaries worked amid the political transformations of Republican China, animated by hopes for democratic reform and fears of communist ascendancy. Grounded in extensive archival research in the United States, Taiwan, and the Vatican, John Harney offers a detailed institutional history while engaging broader historiographical trends that emphasize local reception and cross-cultural encounter. By situating missionary experience within the wider context of Republican-era political and social change, the presentation bridges the history of Christianity in China with modern Chinese historical studies. An interactive component will highlight research possibilities within Vincentian archives in the United States, encouraging further scholarly collaboration.
Joseph W. Ho
University of Michigan
Dr. Ho is Academic Program Manager at the University of Michigan’s Eisenberg Institute for Historical Studies and a Center Associate at the Lieberthal-Rogel Center for Chinese Studies. A historian of modern East Asia, Sino–U.S. encounters, and transnational visual culture, he is the author of Developing Mission: Photography, Filmmaking, and American Missionaries in Modern China and co-author of Time Exposures: Catholic Photography and the Evolution of Modern China.
Fragmented Visions, Future Hopes: Civil War China in Lost Films by American Jesuit Missionaries
Joseph W. Ho presents and screens rare 16mm color documentary films produced by American Jesuit missionaries in China between 1947 and 1949. Digitized in collaboration with Boston College’s Ricci Institute, these films document Catholic community life during the Chinese Civil War. Dr. Ho traces their historical production, subsequent reinterpretations, and evolving significance within Sino–U.S. Catholic relations. Combining scholarly analysis with curated film excerpts, the session invites reflection on memory, faith, and the transpacific Catholic encounter.
Sr. Cuillian Jiang
Catholic Philosophy and Theology Seminary, MA
Sr. Jiang is a member of the Sisters of the Holy Hope of Xianxian, Hebei Province, China. She earned a Master of Ministry degree from Catholic Theological Union (Chicago) in 2017, along with certificates in spirituality and pastoral ministry. Sister Jiang serves as a visiting professor at a Catholic Philosophy and Theology Seminary in Shaan Xi Province, China. She is actively engaged in biblical formation and pastoral training across several provinces in China, including Hebei, Shandong, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Shenyang, and Inner Mongolia. She is currently studying at Boston
College, MTS program, focusing on scripture study.
Mission experiences of a Chinese Religious Sister
Sr. Cuillian Jiang offers a reflective account of a Chinese religious sister’s mission through biblical teaching and translation since 2017. Serving seminaries, dioceses, and formation programs across China, she has witnessed a sustained hunger for Scripture as a source of meaning, resilience, and spiritual renewal. Recognizing that many faithful lack access to formal study, she embraced translation as an extension of mission. To date, she has translated eight biblical reference works from English into Chinese, now used by Catholic clergy, religious, lay faithful, and Protestant pastors. Her academic formation in psychology informs her sensitivity to human suffering and hope within the translation process. Framing translation as both pastoral service and spiritual discipline, she reflects on humility, collaboration, and perseverance in mission. Her testimony highlights trust in God’s Word as a living force that continues to bear fruit across boundaries and communities and reflects a deep commitment to Scripture, spiritual formation, and the ongoing development of pastoral leadership within the Church in China.
Katherine Koch
Independent Writer
Katherine Koch is an artist and writer with a computer science degree, and a writer of historical fiction, especially about WWII. She is a scholar with a love of learning: She graduated summa cum laude from Kent State University in 2003. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Today she works as a professional web administrator and dig ital marketing expert. It’s her dream job and wouldn’t give it up for the world. But by night, she curls up with a good history book and travel back in time.
Scholarly Storytelling: Missionaries in Twentieth Century China - The Process of Turning Archival Research into Historical Fiction
Katherine Koch examines the methodology of “scholarly storytelling” through a planned fourteen-novella series set in Hunan, China (1924–1955). The project weaves three fictional protagonists—an American correspondent and two local brothers—into a documented historical landscape shaped by Passionist missionaries, Sisters of Charity, and Sisters of St. Joseph during the Republican era and subsequent missionary expulsion. Grounded in primary sources from the Passionist China Collection—including correspondence, photographs, and essays published in The Sign magazine—the series seeks to render archival material into historically anchored narrative form. Using this creative work as a case study, Katherine Koch reflects on the interpretive process by which archival fragments become narrative entry points. It explores how chronology shapes plot and pacing, and how methodological transparency ensures that fictionalization functions as historically responsible interpretation rather than substitution for the documentary record.
Xuena Sophia Li
Boston College
Sophia Xuena Li is a first year Doctoral Student in Philosophy at Boston College.
The Value of Seeking Truth in the Conversions of St. Augustine and St. Edith Stein
Sophia Li explores the value of seeking truth through the conversion narratives of St. Augustine (354–430) and St. Edith Stein (1891–1942). Drawing from philosophy and theology, the study examines how both figures—despite emerging from distinct historical and intellectual contexts—understood conversion as the culmination of a rigorous search for truth. Augustine’s journey from Platonism and Manichaeism and Stein’s path from atheistic phenomenology each reveal truth-seeking as more than intellectual inquiry; it is a transformative process involving moral reorientation, disciplined reason, and openness to grace. Sophia Li argues that their conversions demonstrate truth as liberating, personal, and ultimately divine. By comparing these two thinkers, the project invites reflection on the integration of reason, experience, and faith, and challenges participants to consider how the search for truth shapes personal transformation and spiritual maturity within contemporary Catholic life.
John Qiufeng Li
Zhaoxian Diocese
John Qiufeng Li is a priest of the Zhaoxian Diocese, Hebei Province China. He is currently studying in the Philippines.
Confucius and God: Walking on the Way, Being a Pilgrim
John Qiufeng Li will offer a reflection that brings Confucian wisdom and biblical faith into dialogue. Drawing on stories of Confucius, the Emmaus journey, and his own pilgrimage experiences across China, he explores how “being on the way” shapes lifelong learning, spiritual growth, and friendship. Through philosophical insight and personal narrative—including extended cycling pilgrimages to Sheshan and across northern China—he reflects on pilgrimage as both physical journey and interior transformation. His presentation highlights three themes: attentiveness to God’s call in daily life, acceptance of human weakness, and the cultivation of trust and companionship with God and fellow pilgrims. Rooted in the conference theme, his talk invites participants to see Christ as “the way” and to consider how shared stories of faith, perseverance, and dialogue can deepen friendship between cultures and communities.
Mary Moran
Independent
Dr. Mary Moran is an education leader and former program officer with the U.S. Department of Education. She holds a Ph.D. from Saint Louis University and with extensive experience in educational leadership, policy engagement, and cross-cultural study. Mary has traveled throughout China and studies the Catholic Church in China. Mary also serves on the Catholic Advisory Council for Churches for Middle East Peace.
Synodality and the Sinicization of Catholicism in China
Dr. Mary Moran explores the relationship between synodality and the sinicization of Catholicism within contemporary Chinese ecclesial life. She examines the themes of communion, participation, and mission in light of the Vatican's Synod on Synodality and considers how these principles are being received and practiced in Chinese dioceses. Drawing on ongoing research, travel, and ecclesial observation, Mary incorporates insights from Dr. Cheng Siu Wai Venessa (a lecturer in ecclesiology, Mariology, and synodality at the Holy Spirit Institute of Theology and Religious Science, Hong Kong). The presentation will highlight the historic Synod participation of three mainland Chinese bishops appointed by Pope Francis and approved by the Chinese government. Additionally, attention will be given to developments in Hong Kong under the leadership of Cardinal Stephen Chow, including his pastoral letters and emerging concrete practices that embody synodal collaboration. Through case studies and analysis, the session highlights how synodal processes may contribute to locally rooted expressions of Catholic life within China.
Kathleen O’Brien
Maryknoll Mission Society
Kathleen O’Brien’s commitment to her Catholic faith and passion for Chinese culture began during her undergraduate studies in religious studies and philosophy at Bradley University. After graduation, she served three years as a Maryknoll lay missionary in China, teaching English at Jilin Agricultural College and Jilin Catholic Seminary. Those formative years led her to Chicago, where she earned a master’s degree in systematic theology from Catholic Theological Union. From fall 2021 through spring 2023, she served as a full-time staff member of the US-China Catholic Association, launching and developing the Chinese and American Friendship Ministry. She currently lives in Berkeley, California, where she works with Maryknoll in the Mission Formation Department. Through her ministry and leadership, she seeks to foster enduring friendships between Chinese and American Catholics, rooted in shared faith and mutual discovery.
East Meets West: Matteo Ricci as a Model of Cross-Cultural Friendship
Kathleen O’Brien examines Matteo Ricci as a theological model of cross-cultural friendship, highlighting how his method of accommodation embodied a dialogical and Christ-centered approach to mission. Drawing on intercultural theology, she explores the intellectual, spiritual, and pastoral influences that shaped Ricci’s openness toward Chinese scholars and officials. Particular attention is given to his engagement with Confucian moral philosophy, his integration of faith and reason, and his efforts to articulate Christianity in culturally accessible forms. Ricci’s nuanced position within the later Chinese Rites Controversy further illuminates enduring tensions between fidelity and inculturation. By presenting Ricci’s life as a lived expression of humility, intellectual rigor, and sustained accompaniment, the session translates his approach into contemporary pastoral practice. The presentation offers theological grounding and practical insight for cultivating trust, dialogue, and enduring friendship across cultural boundaries within today’s global Church.
Zichan Qiu
University of Illinois, Chicago
Zichan Qiu is a Ph.D. student in the Department of History at the University of Illinois, Chicago. He received the MPhil degree in Anthropology from the University of Hong Kong (2021) and a MA in Comparative and Public History from the Chinese University of Hong Kong (2017).
The Faith Journey of Chinese Catholics in Jamaica, 1900 to 1957
Drawing from his dissertation research, Zichan Qiu examines Chinese Jamaican Catholics within broader global conversations on diaspora, identity, and the localization of faith. The study traces the formation of Chinese civic organizations in Jamaica and their role in shaping social networks, economic stability, and eventual religious development. It then explores the growth of Chinese Catholicism in the early twentieth century, including the emergence of Chinese Catholic Action and collaboration between clergy and laity. Finally, the presentation analyzes the creolization of ancestor worship practices, demonstrating how Confucian traditions and Catholic teaching were negotiated within a diasporic context. By highlighting lay agency and intercultural adaptation, the paper offers a nuanced perspective on global Chinese Catholic history and cross-cultural encounter.
Rosie Shawver
Catholic Campus Ministry Association
Rosie Shawver is an Executive Director of the Catholic Campus Ministry Association (CCMA). She brings more than twenty years of experience in campus and pastoral ministry. She previously led campus ministry at the University of Southern California and the University of New Mexico and served as Executive Director of the Catholic Association for Latino Leadership. Her ministry background also includes service along the U.S.–Mexico border and with Catholic Charities in New Mexico. Rosie holds a B.S. in Psychology from the University of California, San Diego, a Master of Divinity from the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University (Berkeley), and a certificate in Nonprofit Management from Indiana University. Her leadership centers on strengthening campus ministries nationwide and equipping leaders to foster transformative communities of faith, dialogue, and missionary engagement.
The Role of Campus Resources and Opportunities to Create a Culture of Meaningful Encounter with Chinese International Students
Rosie Shawver explores how Catholic campus ministries can intentionally foster sustained accompaniment rooted in hospitality and trust. Across U.S. universities, Chinese international students bring remarkable cultural and intellectual gifts, yet many experience culture shock, homesickness, and isolation as they navigate unfamiliar social and political landscapes. In a time of global tension and distance from family, students often long quietly for friendship, understanding, and belonging. Drawing from national campus ministry experience through CCMA, the session outlines practical ways campus resources, pastoral structures, and formation initiatives can be aligned to move beyond one-time programs toward enduring relationships. By cultivating spaces of welcome, dialogue, and shared service, campus ministries can become communities of authentic encounter that form students and ministers alike for lives of faith, leadership, and cross-cultural understanding.
Sr. Shuangyin Shen
Loyola University, Chicago
A member of the Francescane Missionarie della Beata Assunta Pallotta (Yuci Diocese, Shanxi), Sr. Shen returned to China in 2011 following specialized training in pastoral psychology and has served in pastoral ministry across multiple regions for fourteen years. Her academic formation includes studies at Tongji Medical College (Wuhan), a Master’s degree in Pastoral Psychological Counseling and Spiritual Care from Fordham University, and an MA in Spiritual Direction from Loyola University Chicago (2025). She is a mental health mentor with the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Psychology, a member of the Chinese Psychological Association, and founder and general supervisor of two counseling centers in central Shanxi.
Nourishing Faith and Fellowship: Walking in the Way of Christ: Faith Warms Midlife Crisis, the Mission of a Chinese Sister
Sr. Shuangyin Shen introduces Faith Filling Station (信仰加油站), a 12-week pastoral care program addressing midlife crisis among Chinese Catholic believers through the integration of pastoral psychology and Ignatian spirituality. Drawing on extensive clinical practice and supervisory experience, she presents a structured framework that supports adults navigating anxiety, loss, and questions of vocational meaning through sustained psychological-spiritual accompaniment.
Naomi Thurston
Chinese University of Hong Kong
Naomi Thurston is Director of the China Christianity Studies Group and Assistant Professor at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. She serves as Associate Editor of Ching Feng: A Journal on Christianity and Chinese Religion and Culture. Her scholarship focuses on Chinese Christianities, global theology, and the historiography of Sino-Christian studies. She is the author of Studying Christianity in China: Constructions of an Emerging Discourse (Brill, 2018), co-editor of Moltmann and China (Brill, 2023), and author of Moltmann in China (Routledge, 2025). Through her research and editorial work, she contributes to international scholarly conversations on theology, contextualization, and the interpretation of Christianity within Chinese cultural and intellectual frameworks.
Intercultural Studies of Chinese Christianities
Naomi Thurston offers a historiographical overview of Sino-Christian studies from early Jesuit accounts to contemporary scholarship. The presentation examines three interrelated dimensions shaping the study of Chinese Christianities: confessional motivations influencing missionary and Chinese Christian narratives; cultural imperatives of adaptation and contextualization; and the diverse scholarly rationales guiding present-day research. By tracing developments from seventeenth-century encounters through modern academic discourse, she highlights how theological, cultural, and methodological commitments continue to shape interpretation. Integrating historical, theological, and critical perspectives, the session invites reflection on how Chinese Christianities are studied, constructed, and situated within global Christian conversations. In doing so, it challenges participants to consider the responsibilities and assumptions embedded within scholarly engagement and to reflect on the evolving relationship between faith, culture, and academic inquiry.
Paul Wang
Independent
Paul Wang is a retired information technology professional who has dedicated his post-career vocation to fostering faith and community among Chinese international students and young professionals. At the University of Washington, he has led the Alpha Course and the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA), creating welcoming spaces for students to explore life’s deepest questions and the Christian faith. He holds Master’s degrees in Theology and Computer Science. His ministry focuses on relational evangelization, mentorship, and cultivating spiritually grounded communities shaped by hospitality, trust, and cross-cultural understanding.
Building a Home for Faith at the University of Washington
Paul Wang addresses the pastoral challenges facing Chinese international students who often experience cultural isolation and spiritual dislocation. Drawing on the Alpha model, he highlights hospitality, shared meals, and small-group dialogue as essential foundations for trust-building and accompaniment. Through mentorship and culturally attentive evangelization initiatives—including the Alpha Chinese Film Series—the ministry prioritizes relationship before instruction. By creating spaces where students feel welcomed and understood, this approach fosters authentic belonging and sustained spiritual growth. The presentation offers a practical model of friendship-centered outreach that integrates evangelization with cultural sensitivity, forming communities where discipleship develops organically through trust, dialogue, and shared life within the university setting.
Stephanie Wong
Villanova University
Professor Stephanie Wong is a scholar of East Asian Christianity and Chinese religions, with particular expertise in Chinese Catholicism, Confucianism, and Buddhism. She teaches at Villanova University. She earned her Ph.D. from Georgetown University, an M.Div. from Yale Divinity School, and a B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis. Her monograph, Making Catholicism Chinese (Oxford University Press, 2025), advances new scholarship on Catholic–Confucian encounter and the development of Chinese Catholic theological identity. She is active in the Catholic Theological Society of America and the American Academy of Religion, contributing to ongoing conversations in comparative theology and Christianity in China.
Total Sacrifice, True Charity, Constant Joy: The Spirituality of Vincent Lebbe and the first Chinese Religious Orders
In this presentation, Professor Stephanie Wong examines the emergence of the first modern Chinese Catholic congregations founded by Fr. Vincent Lebbe (Lei Mingyuan) in the late 1920s. Established under Chinese episcopal leadership following the 1926 consecration of Chinese bishops, the Little Brothers of St. John the Baptist and the Little Sisters of St. Thérèse of the Holy Child represented a decisive turn toward ecclesial indigenization. Wong explores Lebbe’s vision of an “apostolic-monastic” spirituality—rooted in total sacrifice, true charity, and constant joy—that united contemplative discipline with active pastoral service. Situating these communities within the political upheavals of Republican China, she highlights the creative tensions between monastic life, patriotic commitment, and missionary zeal, illuminating how early Chinese Catholics articulated a spiritually resilient and nationally engaged identity.
Chiaretto Yan
University of Saint Joseph, Macau
Chiaretto Yan is a visiting professor at the University of Saint Joseph (Macau), the National Seminary of China (Beijing), and seminaries throughout China. A consecrated member of the Focolare Movement, he holds a Doctorate in Practical Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University (Rome), a second doctorate in Interdisciplinary Studies from the Sophia University Institute (Florence), and a Master of Arts in Oriental Religions and Cultures from the University of Santo Tomas (Manila). He is the author of Evangelization in China and My Chinese Dream: Dialogues and Encounters with Christianity.
Chinese wisdom and Christian faith: On wisdom
Drawing from his recent work, Chiaretto Yan’s presentation explores intercultural dialogue, inculturation, and the Christian–Chinese encounter. Integrating historical reflection, theological analysis, and personal testimony, he examines Christianity’s early presence in China, its dialogue with Chinese thought, and contemporary bridge-building rooted in trust, harmony, and the Gospel.
Gabriella Yang
Verbiest Foundation, Belgium
Gabriella Yang works at the Verbiest Foundation in Leuven in Belgium.
Promoting communicative catechesis in China based on Our Common Journey and Catechesis in the Field of Communication
Gabriella proposes the renewal of catechesis in China through a “communicative approach,” drawing on Our Common Journey (the Adult Catechumenate) and Catechesis in the Field of Communication. Situating the discussion within the historical development of the Church in China since the Reform and Opening-Up period, the presenter notes that while sacramental life has been restored, catechesis often remains limited to doctrinal transmission and memorization. In response to contemporary social change and the growing intellectual engagement of adult catechumens, the paper advocates for small-group, dialogical formation rooted in God’s self-communication. Communicative catechesis emphasizes encounter, shared reflection, and integration of faith with lived experience. The presentation further explores pathways for contextualization within Chinese culture, highlighting resonances between the Gospel and traditional concepts such as ren, filial piety, and harmony. By promoting interactive formation and trained accompaniment, the proposal envisions catechesis that forms mature Christians capable of sustained faith and meaningful dialogue in contemporary society.
Sr. Xin Yu
Ateneo de Manila University
Sr. Xin Yu is Catholic Sister and belongs to the Filial Daughters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Baoding Diocese, China. She is a Pre-Novitiate Formator. She has a Master of Counseling Psychology (De La Salle University, Manila, August 2025) and is currently studying at the Emmaus Formation Center, Ateneo de Manila University.
Psychological Integration and Spiritual Maturity among Catholic Religious Women in Mainland China: A Developmental Study
Xin Yu explores the relationship between spiritual maturity, emotional regulation, and health-related quality of life among 128 Catholic religious women in mainland China, from 30 cities in 15 provinces. Using the Spiritual Maturity Index (SMI), emotional regulation measures, and the SF-36 health survey, her research hypothesized that higher spiritual maturity would correlate with stronger emotional regulation and better overall well-being. The findings show no relationships between spiritual maturity, emotional regulation, and health-related quality of life. Emotional regulation functioned as a relatively independent psychological skill, while spiritual maturity followed a distinct developmental path. A small negative correlation was found between spiritual maturity and general health. Drawing on theories by Scott Peck and James Fowler, the study suggests that spiritual growth may involve inner struggle and meaning-making rather than psychological comfort. The findings highlight the need for formation programs that foster deeper reflection and integration beyond emotional stability alone.
Edith Zhao
Chinese University of Hong Kong
Edith Zhao is an Honorary Research Associate at the Centre for Catholic Studies at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). Her research focuses on religion and literature, with particular attention to modern East Asian contexts and the literary mediation of faith in secular societies. She earned her Ph.D. from Fudan University in Shanghai and holds both a Master’s and Bachelor’s degree from Henan University in Kaifeng. Her scholarship explores how religious identity is narrated, contested, and transformed through literary imagination, especially in cross-cultural and interreligious settings. She has also collaborated with The Beijing Center for Chinese Studies (TBC), contributing to ongoing academic engagement between Chinese and global Catholic intellectual communities. Through literary analysis and theological reflection, her work examines how trust, suffering, and encounter are embodied within narrative form.
Centrifugal Transformations of Religion in the Secular: Endō Shūsaku’s Deep River
Edith Zhao examines Endō Shūsaku’s Deep River as a literary model for cross-cultural and interreligious dialogue. Engaging the conference theme, the paper explores how the novel reframes Catholicism’s heterogeneity in Japan through a centrifugal movement of “entering—exclusion—re-entering,” suggesting that faith matures not through doctrinal consolidation alone but through accompaniment amid difference. Through the character of Ōtsu, Zhao analyzes forms of “double exclusion” within both Japanese and Western Catholic contexts, highlighting lived love as an embodied expression of the Way of Christ. Mitsuko’s narrative further reveals how cultural and spiritual collision produces both rejection and longing, uncovering structural parallels between religious and secular desire. By attending to pilgrimage, suffering, and responsibility toward the vulnerable, Edith Zhao argues that trust and friendship emerge through practiced love rather than ideological victory.
Guoqin Zhu
Fuzhou Luoyuan County Loving Heart (爱心) Senior Home
Guoqin Zhu has served as the Director of the Fuzhou Luoyuan County Loving Heart (Aixin 爱心) Senior Home since 2011. She worked in the Fuzhou Diocese from 1997 to 2011. Ms. Zhu belongs to the “Mary, Mother of Light and Hope” community, a lay consecrated community (a private women’s charitable association). She has bachelor’s education in Business Administration and a diploma in Foreign Languages (English).
Witnessing through Service, Communion through Companionship: The Growth Journey of a Catholic Senior Home in Mainland China
Guoqin Zhu recounts the founding and development of the Loving Heart (Aixin 爱心) Senior Home in Luoyuan Parish, Fuzhou, Fujian Province. Established in 2011 to serve impoverished elderly persons, the home emerged from parish initiative and community collaboration, growing from limited financial resources into an award-winning institution recognized as a Five-Star Elderly Care Service Institution by the Fujian Provincial Department of Civil Affairs in 2022. Guoqin Zhu, a member of a diocesan consecrated group appointed to lead the project, reflects on the integration of faith-based companionship with professionalized care. The home adopted a “Body, Mind, and Spirit Holistic Care” model, combining enhanced nursing standards, psychological empowerment, and spiritual accompaniment. Framing elderly care as “living pastoral practice,” the presentation highlights how sustained service, trust, and professional formation can witness to Christ’s love while fostering dialogue, dignity, and communion within contemporary Chinese society.