On Saturday, August 3, 2024, at the 29th USCCA International Conference in Chicago, IL, speakers Fr. Joseph Bai, Sr. Antoinette Gutzler, and Fr. Heping Wang presented on the topic of "Theology and Faith Formation in the Chinese Context." We are glad to share the video of this presentation below: About the Speakers Fr. Joseph Jianmin Bai 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. Sr. Antoinette Gutzler, M.M. 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. During her time in Taiwan, she was consultant to the Ecclesia of Women in Asia (EWA), a standing committee member of the Association of Major Religious Superiors and a member of the Taiwan JPIC committee. Fr. Heping Wang Fr. Heping Wang was born in Ulanqab City, Inner Mongolia in 1968. He is a priest of the Catholic Diocese of Beijing and holds a PhD in Theology from the Jesuit Theological Seminary in Berkeley, California. He currently works as a researcher in the Biblical Research Department of the CCPA & BCCCC, and teaches at the National Catholic Seminary and Beijing Catholic Seminary.Fr . Heping Wang was born in Ulanqab City, Inner Mongolia in 1968. He is a priest of the Catholic Diocese of Beijing and holds a PhD in Theology from the Jesuit Theological Seminary in Berkeley, California. He currently works as a researcher in the Biblical Research Department of the CCPA & BCCCC, and teaches at the National Catholic Seminary and Beijing Catholic Seminary. ---------------------- 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.

Today is Giving Tuesday, when people around the world come together to support mission-driven organizations like the USCCA. Will you support our mission of peace and friendship by donating today ? Any gift, large or small, will be deeply appreciated. ---------------------- 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.

On this Advent Sunday, we begin a season of preparation for the celebration of Christmas, when "the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us" (John 1:14). How do you celebrate the mystery of the Incarnation in these winter months? One of the holidays observed during this season is Giving Tuesday, when people around the world come together to support charitable organizations. This year, Giving Tuesday falls on December 3, 2024. Will you participate in Giving Tuesday this year by making a donation to the USCCA ? We invite you to read our Annual Appeal Letter for more information about our mission and the initiatives made possible by supporters like you. ---------------------- 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.

We at the USCCA wish you a Happy Thanksgiving from the bottom of our hearts. This year, we are thankful for our supporters and for friendships across the Pacific. To learn more, please read our Annual Appeal Letter . This letter outlines some of the initiatives made possible by supporters like you, including efforts to do the following: increase our information and educational sources through our website, webinars, and with our USCCA partners. plan for our 30th International Conference to be held in Houston, Texas during the summer of 2026. learn from and serve existing Chinese Catholic parish communities throughout the United States.  increase the reach and impact of our Chinese and American Friendship Ministry for support and accompaniment of Chinese students in American colleges and universities.  extend the reach of our Mission Cooperative Program to Catholic parishes via year-round educational offerings. welcome young participants into the USCCA’s Affiliate Program who wish to use their talents to expand our engagement with the public.  expand our thriving Book Circle program for those inspired to learn about Chinese religion and culture.   encourage scholars to research the rich legacy of Chinese Catholicism in China and the United States. develop an organizational structure to support the USCCA's future and hire the next Executive Director. As Giving Tuesday approaches, we invite you to consider making a donation of $35 to support these efforts in celebration the USCCA's recent 35th anniversary. We hope that your Thanksgiving Day is overflowing with blessings in 2024. ---------------------- 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.

In a time of increasing tensions between the governments of the United States and of China, the need for intentional friendship and bridge-building is as urgent as ever, especially in view of Christ's teaching that "blessed are the peacemakers" (Matthew 5:9). War is not the only possible outcome; a future where China and the United States coexisted as competitive friends could be a transformative gift to the world. How might we go about finding this path? Are there any guides who might point us in the right direction? As we have learned in Book Circle discussions chronicling his intercultural friendship with Thomas Merton, John C. H. Wu has thought deeply on potential philosophical and theological bridges between East and West. His writings suggest that for the future of the world—for the future of the human community— one of the most promising ways forward is to realize that the wisdom of China and the wisdom of the West are ultimately compatible. In 2025, the USCCA Book Circle will seek wisdom through discussions of John C. H. Wu's Chinese Humanism and Christian Spirituality , wherein Wu draws deep comparisons between Eastern and Western spiritual traditions. Likewise, the Chinese and American Friendship Ministry (CAAFM) will build friendships on a personal level that might exemplify and illustrate possibilities for friendship on a larger scale—as Merton and Wu's friendship has illustrated the possibilities of friendship between Catholicism and Eastern spiritual traditions. Will you join us as we learn from Wu and other bridge builders, putting their ideas into practice through outreach and friendship? We invite you to read more about the Book Circle , the Friendship Ministry , and other ways to support the USCCA. By donating $35 to our Annual Appeal , you can support programs like the Book Circle Discussions while celebrating 35 years of the USCCA! If you would like to learn more about our mission, please also consider joining us virtually on December 7 as we look back on the 29th USCCA International Conference and look forward to the 30th USCCA International Conference. ---------------------- 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.

What makes for fruitful dialogue between religious traditions? In our last Book Circle discussion of 2024, participants discussed Bonnie Thurston's and John P. Keenan's evaluations of Thomas Merton's Catholic explorations of Buddhism. From Thurston and Keenan, we learned about the motivations behind Merton's dialogue with Catholicism and the ways in which we might go beyond it in our own understanding of Buddhism. The nature of interfaith dialogue was a timely topic for conversation, especially given the rise of people who identify as "spiritual but not religious" and the importance of spiritual maturity for such pursuits as the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. Ultimately, this examination of Merton's dialogue with Buddhism illustrated how deep silence and listening is a prerequisite for authentic dialogue between traditions; this includes a respect for differences as well as recognition of shared truths. Catholic missionaries have not always exemplified this deep listening, and those of us who seek international friendship must keep it in view as we plant seeds for the future. As we move into 2025 with our mission of peace and friendship among Catholics in the US and in China, the USCCA is glad to announce that the Book Circle will resume in 2025 with a discussion of John C.H. Wu's book, Chinese Humanism and Catholic Spirituality . As we seek a way forward through the building of bridges, we hope to find inspiration in the philosopher and legal scholar John C. H. Wu, who drew comparisons and uncovered parallels between the spiritual traditions of the East and the West. We hope to see you there! If you are interested in participating in the USCCA Book Circle, please fill out the Book Circle Interest Form. For more opportunities to learn about history, philosophy, Chinese culture, and the life of the Church in China, we also invite you to save the date of December 7, when we will celebrate and continue the discussions of our 29th International Conference. Finally, to support USCCA initiatives like the Book Circle, we invite you to donate $35 to our Annual Appeal in celebration of 35 years of the USCCA. We appreciate your support and your interest in learning from dialogue with our brothers and sisters in China and the US. ---------------------- 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.

by Deacon Doug Lovejoy, Colonel, USA (Ret), MPA, Ph.D. The 29th USCCA Conference, held in Chicago on August 2–4, 2024, marked a significant step forward for the US-China Catholic Association. As an observer who has been involved with China for over 60 years, both as a soldier and as an ordained deacon of the Catholic Church, I have been personally involved with China and the efforts of the US. Catholic Church to develop open relations with the Church in China as the country has developed from the Mao era to the present day. The USCCA was founded in 1989 as a result of efforts by major Catholic religious orders to establish and expand relations with Chinese Catholics reached by their original mission work. This year's conference was the first held under new leadership, predominantly made up of lay people. As such, the conference set the stage for new and more cautiously expansive work in the future. More importantly, the Conference addressed the changing nature of the relationships between the Universal Catholic Church, the Church in China, and the involvement of the Church in the United States. The subjects and specifics of conference presentations reflected these changes and highlighted the areas of challenge and opportunity. Speakers represented the continuing work of the Association as well as new areas of interaction with China that reflected these challenges and opportunities. Representative Speakers included the acclaimed historian of China, Professor Anthony Clark, of Whitworth University; Bishop Junmin Pei of Liaoning Diocese in China; Notre Dame Professor George Enderle, who has organized a recent international conference in China on business ethics; and many more scholars and practitioners who addressed communication networks among Chinese Catholics, opportunities for teaching in China, and opportunities for sharing the faith with Chinese students in the US. The latter is an important, if not crucial, field of evangelization as well as simple intercultural and intellectual dialogue. The scope of the presentations and informal interactions represents the increasing width and depth of possible interactions and relations between the Churches in China and the US. Of equal, if not more, importance for the future was the active and extensive interchange between older and younger generations. Add on to this the promise of increased interaction between American and Chinese Catholics, especially clergy and consecrated religious, both working or studying here in the US and those in China itself. Deacon Doug Lovejoy is a USCCA Board Member, USCCA Executive Director Emeritus, US Army veteran, and specialist in Chinese politics who has taught at West Point and Princeton University. ---------------------- 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.

On Saturday, August 3, 2024, at the 29th USCCA International Conference in Chicago, IL, speakers Sr. Xiaoping Guo, Fr. Jeremiah Li, and Fr. Joseph Yu Yang presented on the topic of "Clergy Leadership and Church Life in China." The video of this presentation is now available via our YouTube channel: About the Speakers Sr. Xiaoping Guo Xiaoping Guo is a religious sister from the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Mary in China. She entered religious life at the age of 20. She was twice sent to the US to study theology, educational psychology, and religious education. She 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. Fr. Jeremiah Li 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 Yu Yang Joseph Yu Yang entered the Beijing Theological Seminary in 1991 and went to the United States to study in October 1994 at the Manderland Theological Seminary of the University of St. Mary of the Lake in Chicago. He obtained a Bachelor of Theology (S.T.B.) in May 1998, a Master of Divinity (M. Div) in May 1999, and a Master of Systematic Theology (S.T.L.) in June 2000. Since July 2000, he has been teaching systematic theology at the National Catholic Seminary and Beijing Catholic Seminary in China. The main courses include: Introduction to Theology, Basic Theology, Revelation, Theological Anthropology, Catholicism, Ecclesiology, Holy Trinity, and Ancient Church History. He also serves at the Wangfujing Church (St. Joseph Church) in Beijing every weekend. Since 2011, he has been working for the Bishops’ Conference of the Catholic Church in China, and from August 2022 he has been the Secretary General of the Bishops’ Conference.

On Sunday, August 4, 2024, at the 29th USCCA International Conference in Chicago, IL, speakers Fr. Rob Carbonneau, Dr. Anthony E. Clark, and Dr. Kathy Stout presented on the topic of "Engaging Chinese Catholicism in Academia." The video of this presentation is now available via our YouTube channel: About the Speakers Fr. Rob Carbonneau, C.P., Ph.D. Since 2023, Fr. Carbonneau has been 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). Anthony E. Clark, Ph.D., FRHistS, FRAS Anthony E. Clark 柯學斌 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. He is regarded as one of the most influential scholars of China’s Catholic culture and history, and he has published dozens of books, articles, and reviews related to China’s long exchange with Christianity. Huili (Kathy) Stout, Ph.D. Dr. Stout received her Ph.D. in theology from the University of Dayton in December 2023. She has taught classes on theology and religious studies as well as Daoism, Buddhism, and Chinese traditions in general to undergraduate students at UD and the University of Oklahoma.

Did you know that the last USCCA Book Circle Discussion of the Fall semester will take place on November 16? Throughout the year, Book Circle participants have learned about Catholicism in dialogue with Eastern spiritual traditions through the writings of Thomas Merton and John C. H. Wu. On November 16, the USCCA Book Circle will discuss the perspectives of Bonnie Thurston and John P. Keenan on Merton's understanding of Buddhism. According to Bonnie Thurston, "The aspects of Buddhism which particularly attracted Merton were its articulation of the paths of spiritual development, its 'cultural alternative,' and its contribution to monastic renewal." Please fill out the Book Circle interest form if you are interested in receiving updates about the Book Circle (including Zoom links to Book Circle discussions). For gift ideas and holiday reading, we also invite you to purchase a Bilingual Bible and Lu Nan's On the Road through the USCCA. Lu Nan's On the Road , a book of photography portraying the life of the Church in China, can be purchased with a 20% discount with the discount code USCCAOnTheRoad20 . ---------------------- 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.

Celebration of Dutch Bishop Frans Schraven Martyrdom in Zhengding By Antonius 2 November 2024, All Souls Day At 8:00 PM on the evening of October 9, 2024, priests from Zhengding and Xingtai Dioceses, staff of the Faith Press, four deacons, two religious, and hundreds of Catholics gathered to celebrate a memorial mass for Bishop Schraven, C.M., a Vincentian Missionary, and his companions in Zhengding, praying for Bishop Schraven’s canonization. This year, many pilgrimage groups came to visit Zhengding.  The Chinese Christians pray together with the Church in the Netherlands to bear witness to the gospel of the Lord. The Church in Zhengding is now building a house to exhibit Bishop Schraven's witness to Christ’s love for the Chinese people. (Photo credit: Antonius. oP priests and deacons of the Diocese of Zhengding and Xingtai) On October 9, 1937, the Japanese conquered the city of Zhengding*, where Bishop Schraven was responsible for the protection of some 4,000 refugees, primarily women and children. The soldiers plundered the city and killed and raped at will. The Japanese authorities demanded that Bishop Schraven hand over some women ‘to fill the soldier's need for comfort.’ The Bishop refused their demand. In the evening of the day that the city fell, Bishop Schraven and nine priests were arrested and deported by truck. That same evening, the Japanese army was thought to have burned the bodies of all the killed not far from the   centuries-old Buddhist pagoda in Zhengding, Hebei Province . It took until 1973 before the fate of Bishop Schraven was discovered: he and others had been burnt alive on a pyre.   The parish priests and Christians in Zhengding want to let more and more Chinese people know about Bishop   Schraven’s love for the Chinese and his contributions to the Church in China and continue to share the story of the Vincentian’s mission to proclaim the Gospel to the Chinese and to protect women’s dignity. The Christians pray for Bishop Schraven's early canonization. They hope   to share the progress of his canonization with his family in the Netherlands. Christians not only come to Zhengding on the day of Bishop Schraven's martyrdom, but some also go weekly to sweep the tombstone of Bishop Schraven and pray in the Tianning temple. In recent years, the number of visitors to Zhengding has gradually increased, including individuals and groups from all over China. The local Christians tell them about Bishop Schraven’s protection of Chinese people, which led to his martyrdom.  Due to historical conditions in China, in 1947, Bishop Chen Zhiming of Zhengding led almost all the Zhengding diocesan priests to Brazil, and they never returned. Consequently, there were many difficulties in running the diocese that continue to this day. Christians in Zhengding are now working hard to make Bishop Schraven's deeds of justice and charity become public knowledge and encourage prayers for the canonization of Bishop Schraven.  (Photo of old Buddhist pagoda) The Chinese Christians pray together with the Church in the Netherlands to bear witness to the gospel of the Lord. The Church in Zhengding is now building a house to exhibit Bishop Schraven's witness to Christ’s love for the Chinese people. The yard of the house will be called Bishop Schraven (文致和主教之家). The Chinese Christians look forward to its completion soon. I also look forward to physically attending the Bishop Schraven canonization ceremony. Zhengding, originally Zhending, is a county in southwestern Hebei Province, North China, located approximately 260 km south of Beijing, the capital of China. It is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Shijiazhuang, the capital of the province, and has a population of 594,000. --------- Note: This is an occasional series of reflections from the Church in China shared with Tom McGuire, USCCA Board of Directors. --------- 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 supporting 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. ________________ As USCCA looks forward to 2025 -- and our next 35 years  -- we remain dedicated to our mission of building bridges, fostering friendship, dialogue, and accompaniment through our core initiatives of : Chinese and American Friendship Ministry, for college and university students The Book Circle, meets monthly 30th International Biennial Conference (Summer 2026 - Houston, TX) Study Tours to China Speaker Series Mission Appeal 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. Please give to the USSCA's 2024 Annual Appeal. If you have enjoyed reading the USCCA website and want to learn more about our mission, please get in touch with Gerald Doyle, Interim Chief Administrative Officer, at director@uschinacatholic.org .

Our Hope is in Christ: Theme of the 29th International Conference. I n August 2024, we celebrated the 35th year since the founding of the USCCA at the 29th International Conference, which gathered 150+ lay and religious individuals in Chicago from over a dozen countries, including the U.S. and China.  Spanning three days, four keynote speakers, a range of pastoral reflections, academic panels, and other events, the Conference fostered a deeper conversation surrounding Christianity, culture, and the friendship between the Church in China and the U.S. Take a moment to watch a 90-second over of our three-days together. Conference & Vigil Mass in St. Vincent De Paul Church At the conference, one of the participants remarked that "... by meeting each other, we can support each other." Through the generosity of your support and partnership, the USCCA continues to build bridges of friendship and understanding among Catholics in the United States and in China through programs like the Chinese and American Friendship Ministry, USCCA Book Circle discussions, Mission Appeal, Study Tours, a Speaker Series, International Conferences, and a weekly Blog Series for reflection, meditation, and discernment. Following the conference, a Chinese religious sister wrote about the need for trust. "There needs to be more trust at both the interpersonal and state levels in the U.S. and China. The Biblical nature of God relates to trusting humans. We are living in an era of a crisis in trust. In an era when tensions within the U.S., especially as the Presidential Election Day draws near, across the Gulf region, throughout the Americas, and beyond to the Pacific seek to drive people apart, the USCCA’s mission of dialogue, accompaniment, faith-in-friendship, encountering and belonging, welcoming, and mutual respect is more relevant than ever. We must ask ourselves, "What does it mean to Trust in Jesus' Call to Friendship ?" Supporters like you keep the USCCA moving forward through our collective prayer, dialogue, and friendship! We graciously and humbly ask for your support. The upcoming Fall 2024 Annual Appeal will run through December 2024. To enrich and extend the impact of the USCCA, we have set the 2024 Annual Appeal campaign goal at $100,000; during the pre-campaign/silent phase, the USCCA has received pledges or gifts of nearly $60,000+. With your help, we will exceed our goals. To support the USCCA, please visit Donate: 2024 Annual Appeal . If you want to help more directly in this outreach effort and share your ideas, please get in touch with Interim Chief Administrative Officer Gerald Doyle at Director@USCatholicChina.org . Once again, thank you for your prayers and generous commitment to the mission and vision of the USCCA. Peace, blessings, and HOPE! All of us at the USCCA ---------------------- 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.