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In its last meeting of this semester, the USCCA Book Circle discussed the collected letters of correspondence between John Wu and Thomas Merton, accompanied by an introductory essay by Lucien Miller entitled "The Thomas Merton—John C.H. Wu Letters: The Lord as Postman." These readings were drawn from Merton & the Tao: Dialogues with John Wu and the Ancient Sages , the book which has been the focus of our Book Circle over the course of the semester. A lively discussion ensued on Saturday, June 29, 2024, in which scholars and lay readers reflected on the depth of mutual enrichment that can come from dialogue between spiritual traditions Eastern and Western in origin. Participants engaged in a compelling discussion of how Buddhism's insights can open up new possibilities for understanding Catholicism and Christianity in general. We talked about Merton's reflection on the "strange dialectic" of personal identity, wherein "It is what is seemingly not present, the void, that is really I...It is the No-I [not I] that is most of all I in each one of us" (p. 161). Another thought-provoking passage was found in Wu's suggestion that The ancient Zen masters would be better Christians than many today, because had they heard Christ's teachings they would have understood them, while Christians have lost their ear for the words of the Gospel and the 'impractical' living counsels of the Living LOGOS. (p. 160) These comparisons on the topics of ethics and personal identity were complemented by further discussion on the value of immanence and nature in Eastern thought, which the West can only disregard at a significant spiritual cost. Were you unable to make it to the Book Circle on June 29, 2024? We encourage you to sign up for email updates for the latest from the USCCA , including Book Circle updates for its Fall 2024 semester. You can also stay involved with the USCCA by supporting our mission with a donation or by learning with us and building friendships at the 29th USCCA International Conference . The Conference will be held on August 2–4, 2024, at DePaul University's Lincoln Park campus in Chicago. If you have any questions about the conference, please feel free to reach out to our Interim Chief Administrative Officer, Gerald Doyle, at director@uscatholicchina.org .

Will you be joining us to celebrate 35 years of the USCCA at the  29th USCCA International Conference ? This week, we would like to introduce you to more of the panelists and session chairs who will be there at DePaul University's Lincoln Park campus on August 2–4, 2024: Dr. Jin Lu  received her PhD in French Literature from Boston College. As a trilingual writer, she has authored a monograph on the concept of philosophe in French Enlightenment, served as an editor, contributor and co-translator for a book on the images of France during the Qing dynasty and co-authored a book on intercultural dialogue.  Her forthcoming monograph is entitled Translingual Catholics: Chinese Theologians before Vatican II . Rev. Jeremiah Jiangtao Li  is a priest from Hebei, China. He was ordained to the priesthood in 2014. Before coming to the US for further studies, he served at Hebei Catholic Seminary as a faculty member. He earned his Licentiate (S.T.L.) in Biblical studies and the Master of Theology from Boston College. He is currently sponsored by the Maryknoll China Project and is a doctoral candidate in homiletics at Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis, Missouri. Fr. Joseph Lin  belongs to the China Province of the Congregation of Mission founded by St. Vincent de Paul. Fr. Lin received his master's degree in Scripture at St John’s University in 2011 and Pastoral Counseling at Fordham University in 2020. He served the Chinese community at the Church of St. Joseph in Manhattan until 2015, and now he serves the Chinese community as parochial vicar at the Basilica of Regina Pacis in Brooklyn. Richard (Dick) Madsen, Ph.D.  is Professor University of California, San Diego. He is also the Vice Chair of the USCCA Board. He went on a mission to Taiwan in 1968. While there he discerned a vocation to be a bridge builder between China and the West by fostering mutual understanding between their cultures and reconciliation from past estrangements.  He has been involved with USCCA since its founding. Tom McGuire ’s friendship with Chinese people dates back to his days as a Maryknoll Missionary in Hong Kong. When he returned to the U.S., participating in USCCA Conferences helped to maintain his friendships with Chinese people. From 2018 to 2024, he served as USCCA Board Chair and now as a Board Emeritus Director. Tom has also served as Director of Campus Ministry at the University of Detroit Mercy. Register today   to ensure your opportunity to participate as an attendee at the upcoming conference. After registering yourself, remember to share this information by forwarding it to your friends! We look forward to seeing you at DePaul University on August 2–4, 2024.

Have you registered yet as an attendee of  29th USCCA International Conference ? This week, we would like to introduce you to more of the panelists and session chairs who will be there at DePaul University's Lincoln Park campus on August 2–4, 2024: Fr. Lance P. Nadeau, M.M.  was elected Superior General of the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers in July 2021.  Prior to his election, Fr. Nadeau served as Maryknoll missioner in Tanzania, Egypt, and Kenya.  He was the Regional Superior of Maryknoll’s Africa Region from 2010 – 2016.  In Tanzania and Egypt, he was involved in parochial and educational ministries. In Kenya, he was engaged in HIV communal health ministry and university chaplaincy. Kathleen O’Brien ’s commitment to her Catholic faith and passion for Chinese culture were nurtured during her time at Bradley University; she also has a Master’s in systematic theology from Catholic Theological Union. Kathleen has served as a Maryknoll Missionary in China, as a USCCA staff member, and as staff for Maryknoll in the Mission Formation Department, where she is currently involved with her local parish as the co-chair of the Parish Council.  Rev. Hugh O’Donnell, CM is an Emeritus Director of USCCA. He joined the Vincentians in 1952, was ordained a priest in 1961, and received his Ph.D. from the University of Fribourg in 1966. In 1993, he accepted a mission to Taiwan as provincial superior; under his tenure, the Vincentians re-entered China for the first time since 1950. Today, Fr. O'Donnell heads up a leadership program at DePaul University for sisters and priests from China. Fr. Peter Shen is from Xingtai Diocese of Hebei Province, China. He graduated from Jilin Catholic Major Seminary in 2012, and was ordained to the priesthood in China in 2016; he received a master's degree in Pastoral Theology at National Catholic Seminary in China in 2023. He is currently sponsored by the Maryknoll China Project and is studying for a master’s degree in International Communications at St. John’s University in New York City. Register today to ensure your opportunity to participate as an attendee at the upcoming conference. After registering yourself, remember to share this information by forwarding it to your friends! We look forward to seeing you at DePaul University on August 2–4, 2024.

Introducing Interior Taiji by Simeiqi He, Ph.D Immersed within the ancient tradition of Taiji (Tai Chi) (2), Interior Taiji has been transforming contemporary China's personal and social lives for over a decade. It is a unitive praxis created by the Chinese Catholic Gong Yan with love and life as its central expression. The praxis of Interior Taiji has two faces. It faces the Chinese Catholic Church as “unitive spirituality. It also faces the broader Chinese society as “unitive therapy.” It was birthed from and first enacted in Gong’s life during a period when his experiences of tremendous suffering were profoundly transformed through a creative process of doing Taiji with God and with oneself. The praxis of Interior Taiji has two faces. It faces the Chinese Catholic Church as “unitive spirituality.” It also faces the broader Chinese society as “unitive therapy.” Interior Taiji is well received in China, having been implemented into Catholic seminaries, retreats, faith formation, etc. Chinese psychotherapists have widely incorporated it into individual, family, and group counseling practices. Central to Interior Taiji is the movement and transformation of affect concerning the human capacity and desire to love and be loved unconditionally. For Gong, affect originates in God and exists essentially in every human being and God. Interior Taiji's goal is transforming the human effect through which one attains union with God (or unity between heaven and human beings as denoted by the Chinese concept Tianrenheyi), achieves integral health, and becomes an authentic self. While Gong considers the centrality of effect as unique to the Chinese cultural sentiment, his approach can find resonance in mystical theology, where the effect is fundamental to the soul’s divinizing transformation and union with God. In the twelfth century, St. Bernard of Clairvaux used the term to refer to our active capacity to desire and love and our passive capacity to receive love. (3) Gong’s conception of affect as essential to human nature with the capacity to be transformed through divine union shares a deep affinity with St. Bernard. Inherent to Interior Taiji is a comprehensive structure of professional supervision. He emphasizes that Interior Taiji is an open learning process in the community and serving God and the world. Interior Taiji expresses a social vision of personal communion and is forming conscience not through external forces but by discerning the love of God in the community. Gong’s vision for therapists and spiritual directors is akin to Pope Francis’s notion of spiritual accompaniers, as those who “do not do the work in the place of the person accompanied but walk alongside him or her or them, encouraging them to interpret what is stirring in their heart.” (4) Further, Interior Taiji presents a promising development in the Chinese Catholic Church and a contribution to the universal Church. It enacts the Catholic tradition of mystical theology while expanding its horizon to bear upon contemporary life. It demonstrates the contours of Chinese Catholic theology as an expression of the unbearable sorrows and the profound joys. Interior Taiji is a praxis of a new generation striving to heal both itself and the world. ------ This essay is a summary of the May Forum article under the same name first published by the Catholic Theological Ethics in the World Church Taiji is the pinyin romanization of the Chinese term 太极. It is often called “Tai Chi” based on the Wade-Giles romanization system in the West. Given that Wade–Giles has been replaced mainly by pinyin in mainland China, Taiji is used in this article. Gordon Rudy, Mystical Language of Sensation in the Later Middle Ages (New York: Routledge, 2002), 59. Pope Francis, General Audience, 4 January 2023 ----------- About He Simeiqi, 何斯美琪 Simeiqi He is a theological ethicist and Catholic laywoman from mainland China. Her childhood love for science led her to pursue a Bachelor of Science in materials physics degree at Sichuan University. After a profound experience of love during their sophomore year in college, she professed her life-long commitment to the Christian faith. She was later baptized at Hope Foursquare Church in Snohomish, WA, in her junior year while studying at the University of Washington as part of an exchange program. Determined to grow deeper in her love of God and neighbor, she pursued theological education at Brite Divinity School, earning a Master of Arts in Theology and Ministry degree, while also obtaining a Master of Social Work degree and a graduate certificate in women and gender’s studies from Texas Christian University. As a part of her graduate study, He gained professional experiences through internship opportunities, serving as a student minister, a school social worker, and a psychotherapist. He continued her theological formation at Drew University, earning a Ph.D. in Christian ethics in 2023 with a dissertation on the Catholic moral theology of marriage. She was first introduced to the Roman Catholic tradition through the work of Thomas Merton and the Carmelite tradition. After intense discernment, Simeiqi He was fully communed with the Roman Catholic Church in 2019. Since then, she has been diving ever deeper into the life and wisdom of the Universal Church, its global intellectual tradition, and its creative manifestations through diverse encounters.

As we look forward to celebrating the USCCA's 35th anniversary at the   29th International USCCA Conference , we invite you this week to learn about more of the panelists and session chairs presenting on topics pertaining to theology, history, and the life of the Church in China: Dr. Brent Fulton  is Founder of ChinaSource, which serves as a platform for facilitating informed discussion around critical issues facing China and its church. His publications include China’s Urban Christians: A Light That Cannot Be Hidden  (Pickwick, 2015). Dr. Fulton holds M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in political science from the University of Southern California and a BA in radio-TV-film from Messiah College. Sr. Xiaoping Guo  is a religious sister from the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Mary in China. She has earned two Masters and a Ph.D. from Boston College. In the past thirty years of religious life, she has carried out various ministries, such as teaching at Catholic Seminary, leading retreat, and serving as general superior of the congregation. She is currently teaching at Sheshan Seminary in Shanghai.  Sr. Antoinette Gutzler , a Maryknoll Sister, holds a doctorate in systematic theology from Fordham University.  She has served in mission in Tanzania, East Africa and in Taiwan where she first directed a center for factory workers. After completing her theology studies, Sr. Gutzler was associate professor of theology at St. Robert Bellarmine School of Theology in Taipei until her election to the Leadership Team of the Maryknoll Sisters in 2014.  Jan Kwee  graduated with a degree in China Studies from the University of Cologne, Germany, with a one-year study visit at Nanjing University (2005 to 2006) in China. Since February 2010 he has been working at the Catholic China-Zentrum e.V. in Sankt Augustin, Germany, where he is—among other things—responsible for mediating a variety of Chinese Church project requests to the according aid agencies, dioceses and religious orders. Andrea Lee  is Content Manager at ChinaSource. Holding a B.A. in Chinese Language and Literature from Tunghai University and an M.A. in Comparative Literature from SOAS, UK, she has a profound understanding of cultural narratives, which she applied in academic and editorial contexts before joining ChinaSource. Originally from Taiwan, Andrea's career spans significant contributions to Chinese Christian ministries and extensive editorial work.  Register today  to ensure your opportunity to participate as an attendee at the upcoming conference. After registering yourself, remember to share this information by forwarding it to your friends! We look forward to seeing you at DePaul University on August 2–4, 2024.

Keynote speakers have played an important part in USCCA conferences throughout the years. We are pleased to share a bit about each of the keynote speakers scheduled to present at the 29th International USCCA Conference: Anthony E. Clark  is the Edward B. Lindaman Endowed Chair at Whitworth University, the Distinguished Combe Trust Fellow at the University of Edinburgh, and an elected Fellow of both the Royal Historical Society and the Royal Asiatic Society. The topic of Dr. Clark's keynote speech is "Keeping the Hill Green: China’s Hopeful Catholic Future." Bishop Paul Junmin Pei  is Vice President of the Bishops’ Conference of the Catholic Church in China, Director of the Overseas Exchange Committee, and Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Liaoning. The topic of Bishop Pei's keynote speech is "Challenges and Opportunities of the Catholic Church in China." Naomi Thurston teaches and researches the history of Christianity in China and contemporary Chinese Christianities at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. The topic of Dr. Thurston's keynote speech is "Echoes of Hope: Chinese-Christian Debates in Republican and Post-Reform-Era China." Father Augustine Tsang has been teaching at Fu Jen Faculty of Theology of Saint Robert Bellarmine in Taiwan since 2001. The topic of Fr. Tsang's keynote speech is "Hope in the Present: Pastoral Work in and for Chinese Christians in Recent Years." Register today to ensure your opportunity to learn from these keynote presentations at the upcoming conference. We look forward to seeing you at DePaul University on August 2–4, 2024.

On June 10, 2024, the USCCA was pleased to collaborate with ChinaSource and the China Academic Consortium in hosting the latest Speaker Series, featuring Dr. José Casanova. Dr. Casanova lectured on the topic of "The Three Phases of the Globalization of Catholicism in Asia, with special focus on developments in China." Drawing from his extensive knowledge of the history of Catholic encounters in Asia, Dr. Casanova outlined three phases of globalization, each marked by its own particular challenges and controversies within the Church and adjacent communities: The first phase of globalization, including the "golden age" of global Catholic missions, started in the 1500s and endured through the 1770s The second phase, characterized by Western global hegemony, started in 1780s and extended to the 1960s The third phase started with Vatican II in the 1960s, and is marked by increasing recognition of the need for collaboration and cooperation between peoples Recalling a Jesuit missiology of "accommodation and enculturation," Dr. Casanova revealed how the history of Catholicism's globalization can inform efforts to build bridges of friendship across national and continental boundaries. Ultimately, he illustrated how Catholicism can continue to act as a force of global fraternity and as an advocate for those who are most negatively impacted by processes of globalization. After the lecture, Dr. Casanova answered questions submitted by attendees. This question-and-answer session was facilitated by Dr. Richard Madsen, USCCA Board Member and Distinguished Professor of Sociology at University of California San Diego. Dr. Casanova answered questions on topics including the scandal of Christ's resurrection, the crucial role of dialogue and accompaniment for intercultural encounters, and the Catholic response to secularization. Dr. Casanova's latest book, Asian Pacific Catholicism and Globalization , was published in December 2023 through Georgetown University Press. For additional opportunities to learn about the history, theology, and the Church in China, be sure to register as an attendee at the 29th USCCA International Conference , to be held in Chicago on August 2 – 4, 2024! Even if you are unable to attend the conference, you can still help us build bridges of understanding by volunteering or by donating to the USCCA .

In addition to  keynote speakers and honored guests  who have agreed to speak at the  29th International USCCA Conference , panelists from both lay and religious backgrounds have agreed to present on topics pertaining to theology, history, and the life of the Church in China. We invite you to learn more about some of the scholars and practitioners who have agreed to serve as panelists or session chairs at the Conference: Fr. Joseph Jianmin Bai , from Hebei Province, was ordained to the priesthood in China in 2013. After ordination, he served in a parish as a parochial vicar from 2013 to 2017, teaching philosophy as a guest lecturer in Hebei Seminary at the same time. He came to the US in 2017, sponsored by the Maryknoll China Project. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in philosophy from the Catholic University of America. Fr. Rob Carbonneau, C.P., Ph.D.  is an Archival Specialist at the Ricci Institute for Chinese-Western Cultural History at Boston College. His research concentrates on the Passionist China Collection in Hunan, China, documenting the Republican era (1911-1949). Michel Chambon, Ph.D.  is a Research Fellow at the Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore. He has a PhD in Anthropology from Boston University and a Canonical License in Theology from the Catholic University of Paris. In addition to his monograph, Making Christ Present in China , he has published papers on the agency of Christian buildings, Chinese Pentecostalism, and Chinese Catholic nuns. He is a coordinator of the Initiative for the Study of Asian Catholics . Georges Enderle, Ph.D.  is Professor Emeritus in the Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame. His research interests lie in the ethics of globalization, wealth creation, business and human rights, corporate responsibilities of large and small companies, with a view on developments in China. His most recent book is Corporate Responsibility for Wealth Creation and Human Rights (2021; in Chinese 2023). Greta (Rauch) Frei is a PhD student in the Department of History at Boston University. Greta received a BS in Computer Science along with a supplemental major in Chinese from the University of Notre Dame. At Boston University, she combines her love of Chinese, literature, religion, and technology to research the impact of Christianity on the development of Chinese literary and intellectual history. Register today to ensure your opportunity to participate as an attendee at the upcoming conference. We look forward to seeing you at DePaul University on August 2–4, 2024.

Alongside keynote speakers and panelists , we are glad to share that the following Catholic Church leaders have agreed to speak as honored guests for the 29th International USCCA Conference . Cardinal Cupich will be presiding over the Conference Mass on Saturday evening August 3, 2024; Cardinal Chow will be communicating with attendees via video message on Sunday morning (August 4). We invite you to learn more about these honored guests: Cardinal Blaise Cupich , Archbishop of Chicago, was ordained to the priesthood in the Archdiocese of Omaha on August 16, 1975. He has also served as Bishop of Rapid City, South Dakota and Bishop of Spokane, Washington. He holds a Bachelor's in Philosophy from the College of St. Thomas, as well as a Baccalaureate in Sacred Theology and a Master's in Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. He was proclaimed a Cardinal by Pope Francis on October 9, 2016. Cardinal Stephen Chow Sau-yan, SJ is the Cardinal of Hong Kong (China). He joined the Society of Jesus in 1984, and was ordained priest in 1994 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception by John Baptist Wu, Bishop of Hong Kong. Cardinal Chow holds a Master's in Psychology from the University of Minnesota, a Master's in Organizational Development from Loyola University of Chicago, and an Ed.D. in Human Development and Psychology from Harvard University. He was proclaimed a Cardinal by Pope Francis on September 30, 2023. Register today to ensure your opportunity to participate as an attendee at the upcoming conference. We look forward to seeing you at DePaul University on August 2–4, 2024.

In its May 2024 meeting, the USCCA Book Circle discussed "Ecological Wisdom in Merton's Chuang Tzu, " Donald P. St. John's chapter in Merton & the Tao: Dialogues with John Wu and the Ancient Sages . Thinking through Dr. St. John's five meditations on Merton's reading of Zhuangzi, Book Circle participants considered the implications of Daoist and Catholic thought for a philosophy of ecology: 1. The problem of anthropocentrism: Some participants emphasized the problematic nature of anthropocentric perspectives which would place the human species in a position of superiority over nature; others posited a need to value nature while recognizing a special role for humans to care for and steward all of creation. 2. Seeing the world through the eyes of other creatures: Reflecting on Zhuangzi's story of a sacrificial pig with no concept of the special treatments imposed upon it, attention shifted to the ways in which artificial institutions are liable to ignore the intrinsic value and preferences of animals and humans alike. 3. The relationship between nature and culture: Reflecting on Zhuangzi's juxtaposition of a gentleman and a criminal, Book Circle participants explored the ways in which Zhuangzi displays a deep suspicion towards culture's various attempts to make us lose our original natures. 4. The usefulness of the useless: This meditation led Book Circle participants to discuss the value of play, the sacred "uselessness" of spirituality, and the important role played by the humanities and the arts in human life. 5. The problem of technology: The discussion concluded with thought-provoking questions on the dominance of instrumental reason in a technological age. Do these spiritual perspectives provide adequate resources to face the immensely consequential issues of technology that we face today? We sincerely hope that you are able to join us for our next Book Circle on June 29, 2024 at 7 am PT / 8 am MT / 9 am CT / 10 am ET / 10 pm China Standard Time. For updates (including the Zoom link), please sign up for email communications via the USCCA Book Circle interest form .

Pope Benedict XVI declared May 24th a Day of Prayer for China.  Let us meditate and reflect on the Prayer Composed by Pope Benedict XVI (2007).  Virgin Most Holy, Mother of the Incarnate Word and our Mother, venerated in the Shrine of Sheshan under the title "Help of Christians," the entire Church in China looks to you with devout affection. We come before you today to implore your protection. Look upon the People of God and, with a mother’s care, guide them along the paths of truth and love always to be a leaven of harmonious coexistence among all citizens. When you obediently said "yes" in the house of Nazareth, you allowed God’s eternal Son to take flesh in your virginal womb and thus begin the work of our redemption in history. You willingly and generously cooperated in that work, allowing the sword of pain to pierce your soul until the supreme hour of the Cross, when you kept watch on Calvary, standing beside your Son, who died that we might live. From that moment, you became, in a new way, the Mother of all those who receive your Son Jesus in faith and choose to follow in his footsteps by taking up his Cross. Mother of hope, in the darkness of Holy Saturday, you journeyed with unfailing trust towards the dawn of Easter. Grant that your children may discern the signs of God's loving presence at all times, even those that are darkest. Our Lady of Sheshan sustains all those in China who, amid their daily trials, continue to believe, to hope, and to love. May they never be afraid to speak of Jesus to the world and of the world to Jesus. In the statue overlooking the Shrine you lift your Son on high, offering him to the world with open arms in a gesture of love. Help Catholics always to be credible witnesses to this love, ever clinging to the rock of Peter on which the Church is built. Please find more details about the Day of Prayer for China by visiting the Catholic News Agency . ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Fr. (John) Yongli Chen, a Priest in the Archdiocese of Detroit, recently shared this Prayer Composed by Pope Benedict XVI as well as the accompanying note with Tom McGuire, a member of the USCCA Board of Directors. As the years have gotten longer since being "exiled" from my homeland in 2015, I miss more and more my original mission to evangelize people in China. I encourage all of us to pray the Rosary for the rest of the month of May. These are the trying times for all of us who are striving to be faithful to our Catholic upbringing both in China and in the United States. We must encourage each other to make a special effort to pray to our Mother in Heaven this month for the people of China - and for the people of the United States ... .... as together, we build bridges, create new and sustain old friendships, and enter into dialogue for understanding and healing. Peace and blessings to all. ~ Fr. (John) Yongli Chen ------- Our MISSION Inspired by the Gospel, the mission of the US-China Catholic Association is to build bridges of friendship and dialogue between the people of China and the United States by offering educational, service, and cultural programs in support of the Church and the larger society. Our VISION The US-China Catholic Association was founded in 1989 by concerned U.S. bishops Maryknoll, the Jesuits, and representatives of other religious orders to promote mutual support and fraternal ties between the Church in China and the U.S. Church. ________________ The USCCA is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization. Your donations are tax-deductible to the maximum extent allowed by law. The success of our work depends upon the generosity of people like you. 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.

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 -----------------------   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. S isters 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. ------- 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.  ----------- Notes on the Ricci Map: 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 ).