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The XXIV Winter Olympics have commenced in Beijing. This is a time when we come together in friendly competition as a world community. With that in mind, let us pray that the Olympics be the occasion for all people to work together for unity and peace, rather than grandstanding and false nationalism. At this time, Pope Francis also calls our attention to working together for a world community based on fraternity and welcome. In his reflections on the Olympic and Paralympic Games, he reminds us that the “true gold medal” goes to everything that helps the global community be more welcoming and accepting of all people. In union with the Holy Father, let us pray for a world that welcomes all human beings. Finally, we hear that these games are a tribute to the human spirit. At the same time, they remind us of the Spirit that animates us all. In his first letter to the Corinthians, Saint Paul writes, “Do you not know that the runners in the stadium all run in the race, but only one wins the prize? Run so as to win. Every athlete exercises discipline in every way. They do it to win a perishable crown, but we run to win an imperishable one.” (1 Corinthians 9:24) In particular, we remember that Chongli, the main venue for Olympic skiing events, is also the site where on more than one occasion, Chinese Catholics witnessed to their faith at the cost of their lives. These brothers and sisters in faith remind us of Saint Paul’s comments to Timothy, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” During this time, let us pray for all the people of China, and especially for those Chinese who have been heroic witnesses to the Gospel. These are difficult times for all people around the world. This is especially true for the people of China and its Christian communities, who have been cut off from easy travel to other parts of the world. Let us be diligent in reaching out to our brothers and sisters in China, and let us pray that the Spirit sustain them.

Dear friends in Christ, As we celebrate the Year of the Tiger, I write to share a post from a brother Jesuit, Fr. Francis Lim Chin Choy, SJ. Fr. Lim is the Communications Officer of the Malaysia-Singapore (MAS) Jesuit Region. Blessings, Fr. Michael Tigers are considered the most iconic of the big cats. Tigers, being the largest felines in the world, are considered by many cultures to be a symbol of strength, courage, independence, and majestic dignity. The tiger is careful, crafty and suspicious in a good way. It is careful to avoid pitfalls and traps. It is rarely taken by surprise. Following the example of the tiger, we must stay alert, we must walk carefully, and we must be wise in the Lord. There are two subspecies of tiger, commonly referred to as the continental tiger, and the Sunda island tiger. All remaining island tigers are found only in the island of Sumatra. The continental tigers are found in the mainland of Asia, stretching from India to Siberia, and south to the Malay peninsula. The largest tiger is the Siberian or Amur, while the smallest tiger is the Sumatran. No two tigers have the same stripes, and their stripes are as individual as fingerprints are for human beings. A tiger’s stripes are important for survival in the wild as they act as camouflage which appear as moving shadows in long grass and in trees. Therefore, the stripes of the tiger are what make the tiger majestic and unique. In the Bible, lions and leopards are mentioned but no tigers. Furthermore, interestingly there is not one mention of a domestic cat.It is because tigers are not native to the Middle East. We can assume that none of the Hebrew speaking, Aramaic speaking, or Greek speaking authors ever saw or heard of a tiger.The closest to the tiger in the Bible would be the lion which also symbolises authority and royalty. On top of that, some older English translations of the Bible mistakenly translated lion as tiger in some texts. Interestingly, there is an autobiography called “Christ the Tiger” by Thomas Howard published in 1967. Howard was born evangelical in 1935, but converted to Catholicism in 1985. “Christ the Tiger” was written before Howard became Catholic. It is not an exposition about Christ, but rather an autobiography of a sharp and restless mind. The book should have been named “Tom the Tiger”; although this title would not have sold the book! In his book, Howard spends a long time unveiling the unmanageable thoughts of a young man who has been caught up by the love of Christ rather than portraying Christ himself. Initially, he saw dogmas and institutions as obscuring the powerful truth of God’s love in Christ. He argues that Jesus is always greater than any theology. However, Howard demonstrates his awareness that without those institutions there would not be any way of encountering Christ the tiger. This book radically presents who Christ is and what faith in him means. Howard was greatly influenced by the famous writer, CS Lewis, who was in turn influenced by another great writer, GK Chesterton. Howard did his doctoral dissertation on the writings of Charles Williams who was a good friend of Lewis. Howard is generally considered an expert on the writings of Williams. Lewis and Williams compared Christ to a lion, but Chesterton and Howard compared him to a tiger. Chesterton says that when you make the claim that God is a reality like a tiger, which is a reason for changing your life, the modern world will try to stop you if it can. Then, be prepared to be opposed. Prior to that, TS Elliot, a poet, had also used the image of Christ as a tiger in his poem, “Gerontion.” Nonetheless, whether it is a tiger or a lion to signify Christ, the idea is to manifest Christ as majestic, courageous and authoritative. We, who are the disciples of Christ, can imitate him in this way, too. Happy Lunar New Year! - Fr. Francis Lim, S.J.

The Institute for the Study of Christianity and Culture in Beijing, which promotes academic research on Christianity and culture and the promotion of evangelization in China and beyond, is celebrating its 20-year anniversary in 2022. The institute was founded in 2002 by Father Peter Zhao Jianmin, vicar of the Archdiocese of Beijing, who graduated with a degree in canon law from the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium. Father Zhao was the first Chinese priest to obtain a doctorate after the opening up of the Church in China 1970s. Since its foundation, the Institute has sought to study religions, especially Christianity, local culture, and the promotion of greater harmony between Catholicism and Chinese traditions. Over the course of its history, the Institute has sponsored seminars, conferences, publications, forums, training courses, international exchanges. Topics covered range from Mariology and St. Ambrose to the doctors and fathers of the Church, the contributions of Chinese and foreign missionaries to evangelization, and social development in China. The institute has been a pioneer in mainland China for paving the way for dialogue between the inculturation of faith and the evangelization of cultures. Read more from Union of Catholic Asia News >

in person: Beulah Chapel at Home of Peace 4700 Daisy St. Oakland, California 94619 online: Sun, Nov 14 / 4pm-6pm (PST) Sun, Nov 14 / 7pm-9pm (EST) Mon, Nov 15 / 8am-10am (China) John Barwick, a lecturer in the Department of History at Cornell University, has a Ph.D. in modern Chinese history and has done work on the role of Protestant elites in China’s modernization during the first part of the 20th century. His research centers on the fascinating enigma that is modern China. He is drawn especially to the question of Chinese engagement with the modern world during the 19th and 20th centuries and the construction of Chinese modernity that emerged from it. A sub-theme of his work considers the role of religion in modern societies, and in particular the role of Christianity in mediating notions of modernity around the world over the past two centuries. His presentation will help us more fully understand Christianity's contribution to China’s development during the 1930's. After the lecture program on the stage ends, explore ideas and meet new people in any of the small groups throughout the evening. Explore ideas, meet new people, build community. Stay as long as you’d like at any of the three virtual tables. This event is being hosted by China Academic Consortium (ERRChina) and co-hosted by USCCA and ChinaSource. Learn more about the speaker here > The above link will take you to China Academic Consortium's website to register.

On November 10, 2021, Father Michael Agliardo, Executive Director of the USCCA, will participate in a speaker series hosted by the University of Notre Dame, entitled "The Global Church." The specific talk he will be participating in is "The Church in Asia.” “The Church in Asia” introduces Christianity in China from its entry in the 7th century to the present. From the very beginning, Christian evangelization has been a process of inculturation and of negotiation with other religious traditions, especially Confucianism and Chinese Buddhism. The on-going interweaving of Christian theology and Chinese cultural elements offers a special example of the diversity of the Church today. In this series we will explore the history of Christianity in China and introduce Chinese religions, especially Buddhism, in an open and accessible manner. The first episode of "The Church in Asia" occurred on October 27, 2021, and featured Xueying Wang, Ph.D. Dr. Wang presented during a panel entitled, "Chinese International Students in American Universities I" at our latest conference . On November 3, 2021, the second episode will occur and will feature Dr. Robert Gimello, who gave the lecture, " The Logos and the Dao: John C. H. Wu’s Catholic Witness to China's Spiritual Traditions " in 2019 at Santa Clara University, which was sponsored by the USCCA. The program is free and open to the public. Register here >

Bishop Stephen Chow Sau-yan was ordained a bishop in Hong Kong’s Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on Saturday, December 4, 2021. Cardinal John Tong Hon, the apostolic administrator of Hong Kong, presided over the Mass. Cardinal Joseph Zen and auxiliary Bishop Joseph Ha co-presided. Reflecting on his duties, Bishop Chow said, “As a successor to the Apostles by the grace of Almighty God, I request your constant prayers that I may always be loyal to God’s will as a shepherd to the People of God in Hong Kong, and faithfully carry out my duties.” Bishop Chow is the first Jesuit bishop of Hong Kong. Prior to the role of bishop, he served as the provincial superior of the Chinese Province of the Society of Jesus. We offer our congratulations to Bishop Chow and appreciate that while he has challenges ahead of him in a tense situation, we trust that he will guide the church with wisdom and integrity. In a brief speech at the end of the Mass, Bishop Chow said that he wanted to help “foster healing and connections” in the Catholic community in his "beloved hometown." “As the bishop, it is my desire to be a bridge between the government and the church in Hong Kong and between the Catholic Church, fellow Christian denominations, and other religions,” he said. Born in Hong Kong in 1959, Chow went on to study in the United States, earning a bachelor’s and master’s degree in psychology from the University of Minnesota. He entered the Society of Jesus in Dublin, Ireland at the age of 25. He continued his studies at Loyola University in Chicago, where he earned a master’s degree in organizational development in 1995. Bishop Chow also attended Harvard University from 2000 to 2006, where he studied developmental psychology and earned a Doctorate in Education.

A new book entitled, The Catholic Church, The Bible, and Evangelization in China , which was edited by Cindy Yik-yi Chu, was recently released and contains writings from authors in Italy, the United States, mainland China and Hong Kong. It provides various perspectives covering the Chinese Church in the contemporary period and considers the Church on the different levels -the diplomatic, the governmental, the communal, and the individual. From the publisher’s website, “This edited volume starts from the perspectives of Beijing in how it sees that religion should serve the interests of the state. From China’s viewpoint, religion should act as a stabilizing force of society, or else the Christian Churches will lose their reason for existence. This might be incomprehensible to Western Christians, who believe in the freedom of religion and their right to embrace their faith. This collection of articles represents the concerted efforts of Chinese, Italians, and an American—who live in China, Europe, and the United States and belong to different disciplines, such as History, Religious Studies, and Language Studies—to promote a better understanding of the Catholic Church in the world and in China.” Cindy Yik-yi Chu is a Professor of History at Hong Kong Baptist University and Editor of the Christianity in Modern China Series of Palgrave Macmillan. She writes on the Catholic Church and the Catholic sisters in China and Hong Kong. Her recent work is edited with Paul P. Mariani, People, Communities, and the Catholic Church in China (Palgrave Macmillan, 2020).

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.