Search Results

The Ricci Institute for Chinese-Western Cultural History, a highly regarded research center for the study of Chinese-Western cultural exchange, has moved to Boston College from the University of San Francisco (where it has been since its founding in 1984). The anticipated inauguration is February 2022. The Ricci Institute is recognized as an international leader in the study of missionary history. Its early focus was the Jesuit missions from the 16th to the early 20th century and the history of Christianity in China. Under the leadership of the current director, the Rev. M. Antoni Ucerler, SJ, Ph.D., it has expanded its focus to include other societies in East Asia. The Ricci Institute will be co-led at Boston College by Dr. Xiaoxin Wu, director of research. The Ricci Institute supports research in a wide range of interests, including Chinese and East Asian history, relations between east Asia and Europe, the mutual influence of China and Europe on each other, religion and cultural philosophies of the East and the West, and the impact of cultural exchange on the development of natural science, technology, astronomy, cartography, and medicine. Fr. Ucerler notes that by moving to Boston College, the Ricci Institute will be able to take advantage of the opportunity to work closely with scholars at a major research university, as well as expanding ongoing connections with the Harvard Asia Center and the Yenching Institute, and Boston University’s Center for Global Christianity and Mission. Together, these institutions will house the world’s largest collection of research materials for scholars of Chinese-Western culture. Read more from Boston College >

On November 10, 2021, Fr. Michael Agliardo, Executive Director of the USCCA, spoke on “The Church in China Today” as part of a three-part series on the Church in Asia. This series of three talks was sponsored by the University of Notre Dame as part of its Global Church program. The discussion, led by Professors Gabriel Said Reynolds and Xueying Wang, ranged across a wide variety of topics. How can one get a handle on the Church in China, which has over 400 years of history and is spread across a vast land with 1.4 billion people? How do ordinary Chinese people view the Catholic Church in China? Is the Christian message something that resonates with young people in China today? Has the Catholic Church in China been able to build relationships with other religious groups in China? What about other Christian groups? Fr. Michael, who is a visiting professor of sociology at Santa Clara University, also reflected on how people make meaningful sense of life – no challenge in the contemporary era, when everything seems up for grabs. You can view more information on the series here. Share your own reflections and reactions with Fr. Michael here. the presentation

It is with great gratitude that we announce that our 2021 Annual Appeal received $61,577, surpassing our goal of $60,000. We add a special note of thanks to Father Ron Chochol (pictured left) who, through his “Chochol Challenge,” matched donations up to $5,000 and pushed us over the finish line. And we acknowledge with gratitude the alumni of the Maryknoll Sisters School who supported our appeal. Our Board of Directors also made all the difference as the campaign moved forward. They already contribute their energy and commitment in so many ways. Hats off to them for all they do. We also take our hats off to Bernard Ciernick (pictured below), a member of our staff. Not only did he personally support the effort. He rallied others to the cause. Thank you, Bern! We are very grateful to all of our donors. Thanks to your generosity, we have the funds we will need to continue operating into the upcoming year.

We are very excited to announce that last week, Kathleen O’Brien, who has joined the USCCA’s Campus Engagement Initiative (CEI) effort part-time, came out to the Bay Area to meet with local partners. She is preparing for spring 2022, when she will come out to work on this effort full-time. “We met with high school representatives, a local Chinese Catholic young adult group, university campus ministers, Protestant partners of the USCCA, and other potential colleagues,” Kathleen shared. “Through our conversations with Catholic Chinese priests, the Chinese Catholic Young Adult group, and campus ministers, we have been able to outline the first stages of our strategic plan. This includes creating four pilot programs by May 2022 so that they can be launched in the fall 2022.” Looking to the future of the CEI, Kathleen said, “Today in our world, division often dominates our discourse. The CEI is dedicated to the vision that engagement and friendship based on mutual respect are not only possible, but that they are the way forward. I also hope that through the work of the CEI, we can witness to the relevance of Catholic faith in people’s lives.” Kathleen is currently finishing her master’s degree in Theology at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, Illinois. For three years she served as a Maryknoll lay missionary in China. There she taught English both at a university in Jilin and at the local Catholic seminary. “I was teaching English. But more importantly, I was able to accompany my students during their formative years. Teaching English at Jilin seminary gave me access to how Chinese Catholics understand God and grapple with their faith in Chinese society.” Kathleen brings this experience to share with others who work with Chinese international students. The USCCA’s Campus Engagement Initiative is dedicated to the proposition that the American and Christian values of generosity and friendship reflect the best of who we are. In addition, a goal of the CEI is to welcome Chinese international students and take time to share with one another what makes us most human - it is truly a work of faith. We thank Kathleen for taking the time to visit and look forward to her joining the USCCA team full time in 2022!

In our day, Chinese priests, sisters, and lay people are actively reflecting on their faith and how to meet the challenges of our times. In addition, they enrich our own Christian theology by drawing on their heritage and experience as members of Chinese society. Sr. Lina Rong, who recently published “Exploring a Theology of Relationships from a Biblical Perspective in the Context of China,” is no stranger to this effort. She is a Missionary Sister of Holy Hope (圣望会) and a professor at Hebei Catholic Major Seminary in Shijiazhuang (石家庄河北省神哲学院). After studying at Shaanxi Major Seminary and the Loyola School of Theology of the Ateneo de Manila, she earned a doctorate in Scripture at the Catholic University of America. Sr. Lina’s article was included in Yearbook of Chinese Theology 2021, just published by Brill. It is a thoughtful reflection on the importance of relationship in Scripture and in Chinese culture. In drawing on this important theme and its place in both faith and culture, Sr. Lina points an important way forward for Christians in China. To read the full essay, please click here > Rong, Lina. “Exploring a Theology of Relationships from a Biblical Perspective in the Context of China.” In Brill Yearbook of Chinese Theology (2021) Vol. 7, edited by Paulos Z. Huang & Bin You, 69-84. Leiden: Brill, 2022.

Recently, two events took place in China under the auspices of the Bishops' Conference of the Catholic Church in China (BCCCC) and Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association (CCPA) that reflect the policy of harmony and cooperation between the Church and the Party in China known as “Sinicization.” On September 24, Catholics from two churches in Zibo city in Shandong province attended an event called “One Hundred Sermons.” In this event, speakers explained the instructions of President Xi on religious activities, the promotion of Sinicization in the Church, and how to adapt to the socialist society. News of this event was posted on the BCCCC website. According to the official record, Bishop Joseph Yang Yongqiang, vice-chairman of the BCCCC, delivered the opening address, and some 30 clergy and other members of the church attended. Father Wang Yutong, deputy director and secretary-general of the Zibo Catholic Patriotic Association, made a presentation entitled "Personal Experience of the Sinicization of the Church” based on his 30 years of experience in parish management, evangelism and daily activities through the association. The priest concluded his speech by calling for Chinese Catholicism to carry on the legacies of pioneering leaders like Bishop Zong Huaide and follow the principles of “one direction, one road, one flag” — to adhere to the Sinicization of religion, the path of independence and a self-run church, and the flag of patriotism and love for religion. (There were, in fact, two Chinese bishops named Zong Huaide. It is unclear from the current report which Bishop Zong was being cited.) Later in the month, from September 27 to 29, 18 prominent representatives of the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, visited Xibaipo village, a prominent communist revolutionary site in Shijiazhuang (Hebei province). Broadly speaking, “Sinicization” can refer to the adaptation of Catholic practice to Chinese culture. However, under the current regime in China, it refers to a specific policy carried out under the direction of the United Front, a branch of the Chinese Communist Party. During the recent conference of the USCCA this past August, a panel explored the dimensions of this policy and its implications for Christians living in China. View the conference panels here >

This book is the first scholarly study of the Four Character Classic, a children’s primer written by Giulio Aleni, SJ (1582–1649) when the famous Jesuit missionary was living in Fujian, China. Clark underscores how Aleni’s published work made creative use of existing pedagogical styles in Chinese culture to serve the catechetical exigencies of the Catholic mission in East Asia. He meticulously followed the expositional style of Confucian children’s primers, wedding them with Christian content and vision. This book also includes masterful translations of Wang Yinglin’s (1551–1602) hallowed Confucian Three Character Classic and of Aleni’s Chinese catechism, which was published during the Qing Dynasty. Clark’s careful reading of the Four Character Classic provides new insights into an area of the Jesuit mission in early modern China that has so far been given little attention, the education of children. Anthony E. Clark is Professor of Chinese History and Edward B. Lindaman Endowed Chair at Whitworth University. He is the author of several books, including China’s Catholics in an Era of Transformation (2020), China Gothic: The Bishop of Beijing and His Cathedral (2019), and Heaven in Conflict: Franciscans and the Boxer Uprising in Shanxi (2015). Dr. Clark is an Emeritus Director on the Board of the USCCA.

Hosted by the Asia Research Institute at the National University of Singapore, the Initiative for the Study of Asian Catholics (ISAC) seeks to foster and better propagate social scientific research on Catholics in contemporary Asia. The official launch of the program was announced October 1, 2021. ISAC already has a few collaborators working on mainland China cases. Their upcoming conference “Catholicism, Family and Asian Societies” will have three presenters (out of 18) speaking on cases from Shanghai, Yunnan, and Hunan. ISAC is also launching the “Global Chinese Catholicism Project” in partnership with scholars based at Hong Kong University. Additionally, one historian teaching in Hong Kong is taking a leading role in their project on "Asian Marianism". Ultimately, ISAC intends to become a platform where researchers can exchange ideas, seek collaborations, and offer advice with the objective of enhancing the collective understanding of Asian Catholics and global Catholicism. Thus, ISAC seeks to be a resource for researchers, students, journalists, and the general public, offering up-to-date information on scholarly activities and publications relating to Asian Catholics. One of the coordinators of ISAC is Michel Chambon, Ph.D., Research Fellow at the Asia Research Institute at the National University of Singapore. Dr. Chambon spoke during a panel entitled, “Building Bridges Between China and The West: Three Case Studies” at the USCCA’s latest conference, "China, Christianity, and the Dialogue of Civilizations." He is a frequent contributor to Catholic periodicals dealing with the life of the Church in East Asia. Learn more about ISAC >

Special thanks to Daniel Lindbergh Lang for providing this reflection on his experience at the USCCA's 28th International Conference, "China, Christianity, and the Dialogue of Civilizations." Attending the 2021 U.S.-China Catholic Association conference has been for me, one grace after another in a hopeful start to engage further with the Church in China. I’m Catholic, through generations of my dad’s family, Austrian-Americans. I’m Chinese, through my late mother, who immigrated to America in the early ‘90s. Since embracing my faith and learning Chinese as an undergrad, I’ve grown increasingly interested in China’s Church. My interest grew so much that as a college senior, I conducted fieldwork in Taiwan, meeting young parishioners there and embarking right after on the 2019 World Youth Day pilgrimage. I learned about the USCCA last fall while Googling scholars involved in China’s Church. I asked them how they’d recommend I learn more, and John Lindblom recommended the USCCA. I began attending webinars, starting with Dr. Diane Obenchain’s. Meanwhile, I hoped to return soon overseas for the U.S. Peace Corps Mongolia. When I heard about the USCCA’s conference, I felt interested but uncertain whether to attend in person. I no longer was affiliated with a school, would be going alone and wouldn’t be presenting. I took a leap of faith. I registered. Then my parish priest Fr. Nathan Mamo called, offered to sponsor me in full and insisted that I participate in everything I could. I gratefully accepted. God set my stage. I arrived Wednesday evening, settled into the residence hall and wandered Santa Clara University to the Mission Church. I asked Fr. Michael, the executive director, if anyone had dinner plans, since I knew no one. He connected me with Rosie Bai, the board secretary. We got dinner. I felt delighted to learn she was a Catholic from Xi’an, since I’d studied there. After dinner, I received a text from Tom McGuire, the board chair. He invited me to get breakfast with him, where I also met his wife Florence and Frs. Francis Li and John Chen. Soon, I would know many people. From Mass that Friday evening into the opening keynote, I met people familiar with both the places I'd been, such as Dr. Chiaretto Yan with Shanghai, and the places I hoped to go, such as Kathleen O'Brien with Jilin. That felt wonderful. Throughout the weekend, I enjoyed serendipitous encounters with extraordinary folks, such as with fellow Sir Knight Peter Tan, who was a Master of the Fourth Degree. I felt awed by the approachability of guests and by their candor. Every break we had felt fast, for every person I met shared such unique stories and advice. I could write thousands more words about these moments. Perhaps my most personally memorable moment occurred during the question-and-answer period of my final session. A virtual participant, Joseph Zhao Yu, mentioned while asking a question that he was in Reno, Nevada—where my parish was. I too was planning to ask a question in that session. So, while asking my question, I introduced myself as also from Reno. Afterward, the panelist Kathy Stout approached me, requesting my WeChat for her friend, who saw us online. Her friend became my friend, and we texted, coordinating to meet. That Thursday, when I returned to my parish to tell my priest about the weekend, I also introduced our parish to my new friend, Joseph. Now we sing tenor together in our music ministry. We hope this fall to help with the USCCA’s Mission Appeal program. The Holy Spirit really brought us together. In my weeks since the USCCA conference, I have spoken about it with most anyone interested. The conference widened my perspective on hope, despite challenges among believers in China. From sessions and keynotes that weekend, I penned three dozen pages of notes, exchanged contact information with so many people and took plenty more photos. In my research, as I read pieces about China’s Church, I often smile when I realize I’ve met their authors like Ian Johnson and Drs. Richard Madsen and Michel Chambon. Whatever the Lord has in store for me, His plans are great. I’m glad to grow.

A young Chinese priest in China is studying English and preparing for the TOFEL exam. His hope is to come to the US or the Philippines to pursue a master’s degree so that he can better serve in his diocese. This priest belongs to the Wenzhou Diocese (温州教区), where he has taught math at a junior seminary school in China for the past 6 years. Currently, he has been given leave to focus on studying English so that he can continue his education abroad. He would like a native English speaker as a conversation partner to assist him as he prepares. Someone familiar with using WeChat online would be ideal. If anyone is interested, please contact Fr. Michael at Director@USCatholicChina.org.

The Catholic Church in China, with its long and storied history, has entered a new era. With the signing of an historic agreement between the Vatican and the Chinese government, an impasse of over 50 years was broken. Since then, reports of government persecution of religion in China have continued to break, but signs of hope have also emerged. What does the road ahead look like? ​ On September 17, 2019, Fr. Michael Agliardo, SJ, executive director of the US-China Catholic Association, and an authority on the Church in China, upon his return from consultations in Europe concerning the circumstances of the Church in China spoke on these issues. Included were ways for us to get involved and connected. In addition, the event shared the America Media short “The Catholic Church in China” – awarded a first-place prize in 2018 by the Catholic Press Association. Co-producer Zac Davis was on hand to join the conversation. ​ The evening ended with an opportunity to raise questions and share views with others gathered.

About the Event: For almost a century, Chinese leaders have pursued an agenda of top-down secularization, with most religions heavily persecuted or banned. However, religion is now back at the center of Chinese society and politics, with the country awash with new temples, churches, and mosques—as well as cults, sects, and politicians trying to harness religion for their own ends. And now, at the same time that it is demolishing churches and detaining Muslims in reeducation camps, the government is promoting Buddhism, Taoism, and folk religion. What sense are outsiders to make of these seeming contradictory policies? How do Chinese leaders intend to manage the tension between an atheistic state and a constitution that guarantees freedom of religious belief? What do these policies this say about China’s participation in the larger global community? Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist Ian Johnson has lived in China for more than 20 years, following the country’s search for values, faith, and new ways of organizing society. About ian johnson: Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist Ian Johnson has lived in China for more than 20 years, following the country's search for values, faith, and new ways of organizing society. For more than a hundred years, China embarked on a movement of forced secularization, with most religions heavily persecuted or banned. But religion is now back at the center of Chinese society and politics, with the country awash with new temples, churches, and mosques - as well as cults, sects, and politicians trying to harness religion for their own ends. Churches are being demolished and Muslims forced to attend reeducation camps, while the government is also promoting Buddhism and folk religion. How to reconcile these contradictory claims? Ian Johnson is a Pulitzer-Prize winning writer focusing on society, religion, and history. He works out of Beijing for The New York Times, The New York Review of Books, and other publications. He teaches undergraduates at The Beijing Center for Chinese Studies, and has served as an advisor to academic journals and think tanks, such as the Journal of Asian Studies, the Berlin-based think tank Merics, and New York University's Center for Religion and Media. In 2018, he was accepted as a doctoral candidate at Germany's Leipzig University, where he is writing a thesis on Chinese religious groups and their relationship to the state. For more information on Ian Johnson, visit his website: http://www.ian-johnson.com/bio. The Presentation: Selected Works by Ian Johnson (张彦) The Souls of China: The Return of Religion after Mao (2018) The Souls of China tells the story of one of the world’s great spiritual revivals. Following a century of violent anti-religious campaigns, China is now filled with new temples, churches, and mosques—as well as cults, sects, and politicians trying to harness religion for their own ends. Driving this explosion of faith is the quest for identity and meaning: What does it mean to be Chinese in the modern world? And how does one live an ethical life in a country that has savaged its own moral traditions for over a century, even before the current regime came to power? ​ For six years, Pulitzer Prize–winning writer Ian Johnson lived for extended periods with three religious communities: the underground Early Rain Protestant congregation in Chengdu, the Ni family’s Buddhist pilgrimage association in Beijing, and yinyang Daoist priests in rural Shanxi. Johnson distills these experiences into a cycle of festivals, births, deaths, detentions, and struggle that reveals the hearts and minds of the Chinese people—a great awakening of faith that is shaping the soul of the world’s newest superpower. Wild Grass: Three Portraits of Change in Modern China (2005) In Wild Grass, Pulitzer Prize—winning journalist Ian Johnson tells the stories of three ordinary Chinese citizens moved to extraordinary acts of courage: a peasant legal clerk who filed a class-action suit on behalf of overtaxed farmers, a young architect who defended the rights of dispossessed homeowners, and a bereaved woman who tried to find out why her elderly mother had been beaten to death in police custody. Representing the first cracks in the otherwise seamless façade of Communist Party control, these small acts of resistance demonstrate the unconquerable power of the human conscience and prophesy an increasingly open political future for China.