Friends in Christ:
In conjunction with the 35th anniversary of the U.S.-China Catholic Association (USCCA), the International Conference will be held August 2-4, 2024 at DePaul University — Lincoln Park Campus, Chicago, Illinois
I have compiled the following list of missionaries to China with a United States and Canadian heritage in honor of this event. Also included are several international-based congregations my research shows have a U.S./Canadian legacy.
Historians studying the Catholic Church in China have suggested that the end of the Qing Dynasty (1911), the aftermath of World War I (1914 -1918), and the promulgation by Pope Benedict XV of Maximum Illud (1919), which refocused the importance of Catholic missions in relation to China.
On the one hand, these factors helped create the so-called “golden age of romance and zeal” of American-based religious congregations of men and women to seek, accept, and send missionaries to China. On the other hand, it became clear that the ongoing social and political struggles of China and the international community reveal a more nuanced relationship of Catholic religion in China.
Visitors to this USCCA website should also be aware that representatives of many of these respective religious congregations of men and women have participated in the previous conferences that have taken place since 1990.
We at the USCCA welcome and invite you to read and meditate on this list. Should you be inspired to contact the USCCA, attend, or support the 29th International Conference 35th-anniversary conference scheduled in Chicago for 2-4 August 2024, we welcome you. Our Theme is "Our Hope is in Christ!"
When time permits, we hope to add more resources to these missionary societies and encourage the public to submit their reflections, which will be reviewed and published with appropriate permissions.
I have based this list on the Reference Guide To Missionary Societies in China. From the 16th to the 20th Centuries. R.G. Tiedemann. (Armonk, N.Y.: M.E. Sharpe, 2009), published in conjunction with The Ricci Institute of Chinese-Western Cultural History. The Ricci Institute is located at Boston College.
Blessings, peace, and friendship,
Rev. Rob Carbonneau, CP, Ph.D., Director Emeritus
And All of us at the USCCA
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Source: Mathematical Association. of America*
Religious Congregations of Women
Antonian Sisters of Mary Queen of the Clergy (AM). Home: Canadian. Also known as Sisters of St. Anthony of Padua. Missionaries to China began in 1937.
Benedictine Sisters, (OSB). Home: American. From St. Joseph, Minnesota. The mission to China began in 1930.
Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, (DC; FdlC). Home: International (French origin). Various archives of U.S. Sisters of Charity have historical China-related missionary sources.
Dominican Sisters of the Springs. Home: American. Also known as the Spring Dominicans Mission to China, it began in 1935.
Franciscan School Sisters of St. Francis (OSF/SSSF). Home: American from Milwaukee,
Wisconsin. Also known as School Sisters of St. Francis. They began their mission to China in 1931.
Franciscan Sisters of Oldenburg (Indiana), (OSF). Home: American. Also known as Sisters of The Third Order of St. Francis of Oldenburg; Oldenburg Sisters. Began ministry to China in 1938.
Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, (FSPA). Home: American. Also known as Franciscan Sisters of St. Rose (La Crosse, Wisconsin); La Crosse Sisters. Began ministry to China in 1928.
Sisters of St. Rose (La Crosse, Wisconsin); La Crosse Sisters. Began ministry to China in 1928.
Grey Sisters of the Immaculate Conception (MFIC; GSIC). Home: Canadian. Also known as the Grey Sister. Began ministry to China in 1930.
Hospital Sisters of St. Francis (Springfield, Illinois), (OSF), Home: German and American. Also known as Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis, Springfield. Ministry began in China in 1925.
Maryknoll Sisters of St. Dominic, (MM). Home: American. Also known as Foreign Mission
Sisters of St. Dominic, Maryknoll Sisters. Mission to China began in 1921.
Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of the Angels (MNDA). Home: Canadian. Began in China in 1922.
Missionary Sisters of St. Columban (SSC). Home: Irish. Also known as Columban Sisters.
Began mission to China in 1926.
Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception (MIC). Home: Canadian. Ministry began in China in 1909.
Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception of the Mother of God (SMIC; MSIC). Home: German and American. Also known as the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception and the Sheng Kung Sisters. Began their ministry to China in 1932.
Religious of the Sacred Heart (RSCJ). Home: French. The Sacred Heart Sisters are also known as the Society of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. American RSCJ archives have a variety of sources.
Sisters Adorers of the Most Precious Blood (ASC). Home: American. Also known as the Sisters of the Precious Blood (Ruma, Illinois), the Adorers of the Blood of Christ. Ministry began in China in 1933.
Sisters of Charity (Cincinnati), (SC). Home: American. Also known as Sisters of Charity of
Mount St. Joseph; The Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati, Ohio. Ministry began in China in 1928.
Sisters of Charity of St. Elizabeth (Convent Station, New Jersey), (SC). Home: American. Also known as the New Jersey Sisters of Charity, Convent Station Sisters of Charity. Ministry began in China in 1925.
Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, (Cincinnati, Ohio), (SNDdeN). Home: American. Also
known as Notre Dame Sisters. Missioned to China in 1926.
Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods (SP). Home: American. Also known as
Sisters of Providence. Missioned to China in 1920.
Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi (OSF). Home: American. Also known as Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi of the Lake, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Missioned to China in 1929.
Sisters of St. Francis of the Holy Family (OSF). Home: American. Also known as the
Franciscan Sisters of the Holy Family; Sisters of Mount St. Francis. Dubuque, Iowa. Missioned to China in 1931.
Sisters of St. Joseph, (Pittsburgh), (CSJ). Home: American. Also known as Sisters of St. Joseph, Baden, Pennsylvania. Missioned to China in 1926.
Sisters of Social Service (SSS). Home: American. Missioned to China in 1946.
Ursulines of the Roman Union (Quebec), (OSU) Home: Canadian. Also known as Ursulines of the Roman Union of Canada. Missioned to China in 1922.
St. Joseph Good Works Society. Home: China. Foundress Sister Mary Hubrich had a connection with the American Franciscans from Cincinnati, Ohio, since the mid-1920s.
Franciscan Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Sorrows (OSF). Also known as the
Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother; Franciscan Sisters of the Sorrowful Virgin; Addolorata
Sisters. Religious Family: Franciscan. They began their mission to China in 1939 in Hunan and were joined by four American Sisters from the Franciscan Sisters of the Holy Family of Dubuque, Iowa in 1949. Their leadership team is in Beaverton, Oregon.
Religious Congregations of Men
Benedictine, OSB. Origin: American. St. Procopius Abbey, Lisle, Illinois. Missioned to China: 1934.
Benedictine, OSB. Origin: American. St. Vincent Archabbey, Latrobe, Pennsylvania. Missioned to China: 1925.
Benedictine, OSB. Home: Belgium. Also known as the Benedictine Congregation of the
Annunciation. Missioned to China: 1929. Expelled from China in 1952. Relocated to St.
Andrew’s Abbey, Valyermo, California.
Christian Brothers, CFC: Home: Ireland. Also known as the Irish Christian Brothers. Founder Edmund Rice. Missioned to China, 1921. Some archival resources are at Iona University, New Rochelle, New York.
Clerics of Saint Viator, CSV. Home: Montreal, Québec, Canada. Also known as Viatorians.
Missioned to Manchuria, 1931.
Congregation of the Mission, (CM). Home: International. Also known as the Lazarists;
Vincentians. The U.S. Western Province was missioned to China in 1922.
Congregation of the Passion of Jesus Christ (CP). Home: American. Also known as the
Passionists. Missioned to China in 1921.
Little Brothers of St. John the Baptist. Also known as the Congregation of St. John the Baptist (CSJB), it was founded in 1928 in China by Fr. Vincent Lebbe. Members have a mission in the U.S.
Maryknoll Fathers (MM). Home: American. Also known as the Catholic Foreign Mission
Society of America; Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers; Maryknollers. Missioners were first sent to China in 1918.
Missionary Society of St. Columban (SSC). Home: originally Irish, also with American
members. Also known as the Irish Mission, the Maynooth Mission to China, and the Columban Fathers. Missioners were first sent in 1920.
Order of Friars Minor (OFM). International. Also known as the Franciscans. Home: Various American provinces sent individual missionaries to China. American Province
commitments were St. John the Baptist-1923, Holy Name-1932, Sacred Heart -1925, Santa Barbara-1934.
Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, (OFMCap). Home: International. American Capuchins
missioned to China in 1922.
Order of Friars Minor Conventual (OFMCon). Home: Italian. American friars from the Province of the Immaculate Conception participated in the China mission beginning in 1931.
Order of Preachers, (OP). Home: International. Known as the Dominicans. American
Dominicans of the Province of St. Joseph began their mission in 1925.
Quebec Foreign Mission Society (MEQ). Home: Canada. Also known as PME Fathers.
China's mission began in 1925.
Scarboro Foreign Mission Society (SFM). Home: Canada. Also known as Scarboro Mission Society. Began their China mission in 1926.
Society of Jesus, (SJ). Home: International. Also known as the Jesuits. French Canadian Jesuits were in China in 1931; Jesuits from the California Province went in 1928.
Society of Mary, (SM). Home: International. Also known as the Marianists.
In September 1933, a group of American Marianists from the Cincinnati Province committed to China.
Society of the Divine Word (SVD). Home: German/International. Also known as the Divine Word Missionaries, Steyl Missionaries. American members based in Techny, Illinois, were sending missionaries to China in the 1920s.
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Finally, if you have enjoyed visiting the USCCA website and want to learn more about our mission, please get in touch with director@uschinacatholic.org or consider donating $35 to honor the 35th anniversary of the USCCA.
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Mathematical Treasure: Matteo Ricci’s World Map and the Zhifang Waiji
Author(s): Frank J. Swetz (The Pennsylvania State University)
Among the contributions of the Jesuit missionary Matteo Ricci (1552–1610) to the Chinese Ming Court was a world map. The Kunyu Wanguo Quantu, or Map of the Ten Thousand Countries of the Earth, is the oldest surviving map in China that depicts the Americas. It is a xylograph (woodblock print) on six panels of fine native paper (made with bamboo fiber). Ricci was assisted by a translator, engraver Zhizao Li (1565–1630), and printer Zhang Wentao. This map was completed in 1602 and represents the world as then known by Europeans but utterly unknown by the Chinese. As an honorary concession to his Chinese hosts, Ricci drew China as the central reference point. One of the few surviving copies is owned by the University of Minnesota. In the 1620s, Giulio Aleni (1582–1649) prepared the version of the map shown here (retitled Wanguo Quantu, or Complete Map of the Myriad Countries).
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