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Did you know that the Holy See designated May 1–4 of this year as a Jubilee of Workers? This coincides with China's celebration of Labor Day, which extends from May 1–5. We invite you to read more about the Jubilee of Workers in the informational resources available from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops . Photo of St. Joseph the Worker Church in Macau, China. (Credit: Whhalbert, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons) In the image above, a beautifully crafted fountain welcomes visitors to St. Joseph the Worker Church in Macau, China. How can we glorify God with our work together during this Jubilee Year? ---------------------- 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 April 26, the USCCA Book Circle discussed pages 59-76 of John C. H. Wu's book, Christian Spirituality and Chinese Humanism . This was the first part of Wu's chapter entitled "The Wisdom of Chuang Tzu: A New Appraisal." Discussion participants wrestled with the often lighthearted and paradoxical insights of the ancient sage of Daoism, Chuang Tzu. Image from Angelico Press Particularly thought-provoking was the idea of the Dao as beyond the limits of verbal expression and dualistic thinking. Dialogue among friends in the USCCA Book Circle drew connections with Eastern Orthodox theology, philosophical trends of the Eastern and Western hemispheres, Buddhist warnings against idolatry, and the deep interconnectedness of all things. The notion of interconnectedness also brought to mind Pope Francis' statement in Laudato si that "everything is interconnected." Indeed, in the wake of Pope Francis' recent passing, Chuang Tzu's consoling reflections on death and dying resonated with a number of Book Circle participants: The Great Cosmos, having in the past clothed me with a body, charged me with the strenuous task of living, and blessed me with a peaceful old age, is now resting me with death. That which has taken such good care of my life will certainly take good care of my death. (p. 75) Through dialogues on mortality and parables such as the Happiness of Fish (see video below), John C. H. Wu's account of Chuang Tzu gave the USCCA Book Circle plenty to think about in April. The Next USCCA Book Circle Discussion will be held on May 24, 2025. For more information, we invite you to subscribe to email updates from the USCCA Book Circle . ---------------------- 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.

Did you know that in 2021, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) published a book about Catholics and Catholicism in China and the U.S.? If you are interested in learning more about how Catholics in the U.S. and in China can work together in friendship and dialogue, we invite you to read Partners in Evangelization: Chinese American Catholics , pictured below. This book is currently available from Ascension Press . This Pentecost season, may we remember that together with our brothers and sisters around the world, we are all partners in evangelization. ---------------------- 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.

Text from Beijing Catholic Church translated by Gaby, with introductory comments by Tom McGuire Pope Francis called all Catholics to celebrate a Jubilee Holy Year of Hope in the decree called "Hope Does Not Disappoint", with the prayer, "In this Jubilee Year, may no one be deprived of the opportunity to receive God’s forgiveness and consolation.” The Catholic Diocese of Beijing provided these guidelines for Catholics to encourage concrete Catholics to be "leaven of authentic hope, a harbinger of new heavens and a new earth: The Beijing Diocese, in accordance with the 2025 Jubilee Decree: “Hope is not Deceptive," and in collaboration with the Diocesan parish pastoral ministries, intends to solemnly celebrate the Universal Church's "Pilgrims of Hope" and the diocese's "Year of the Family." On December 28, 2024, Bishop Li Shan and all the clergy will officially inaugurate 2024 as a Holy Year with a Thanksgiving Mass at the Cathedral in the North Church in Xishiku. I. Restitution of Diocesan Pilgrimage Site Activities and Jubilee Pilgrimage Churches All Mentougou Housangyu Our Lady Pilgrimage Site activities (pictured right) will be fully reinstated.  During the Jubilee Year, parishes and communities are encouraged to prioritize pilgrimages to the following designated churches within the Beijing diocese:  Xishiku Cathedral,  Xuanwumen church, Wangfujing church, Xizhimen church, Yanqing Yongning church, Tongzhou Jiaohoutuan church,  Mentougou Housangyuc church, Daxing Xihulin church, and Fangshan Lijiao church. Support parish fellowships or group collaborations, arrange cross-group and cross-parish activities, and jointly organize pilgrimages and prayer events. II. Parish (or Community) Celebrations and Arrangements Throughout the Jubilee Year, all parishes should, as much as possible, celebrate Jubilee-specific Masses for pilgrims or groups. Each parish and community should prominently display the Jubilee logo. Faithful should pray the "Jubilee Prayer" (pictured left) before and after mass. Each parish is required to emphasize pre-marital counseling for the faithful to ensure the sanctity and solemnity of the Sacrament of Marriage. Parishes should take opportunities such as wedding anniversaries, silver jubilees, and golden jubilees to organize various forms of group weddings or ceremonies for the renewal of marriage vows. The parish priest should arrange fixed times for confession or designate a regular confessor based on the circumstances and characteristics of the parish, ensuring that the faithful and pilgrims experience forgiveness and receive healing during the Jubilee Year. Parishes and communities with the capacity should regularly hold communal penitential services. Priests should pay special attention to the spiritual needs of home-based parishioners, particularly making available Holy Communion and the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. Promote evangelization in the spirit of “synodality” (cf. Jubilee Decree No. 17).  Establish evangelization teams, provide effective catechumenate classes, and make good use of the laity’s charisms to collectively fulfill the mission of evangelization. III. Jubilee Celebrations for Christian Families Lead Christian family members to participate together in mass and other church activities. Live out the faith in family life by organizing family prayer activities, such as couples' Bible study, family recitation of the Rosary, learning about the faith together, and setting up a family Nativity scene during Christmas. Encourage Christian families to pray and perform acts of charity together, whether as individual families, as couples, or as neighbors (or communities). IV. Emphasize Charity and Renew the Zeal of Christian Families and Communities to Serve Others Each parish and community should leverage its strengths to continue and improve existing charitable works, such as supporting students, assisting the elderly, and helping those in need. Promote the spirit of charity and the tradition of works of mercy. Emphasize "everyday holiness" and strive to be "saints in the world." Regularly visit the homebound, the weak, and the sick, especially "migrant parishioners" who have left their hometowns for work. Use traditional holidays (such as the Spring Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, and Double Ninth Festival) to express the Church's and parish's care and concern for them. Renew the zeal of Christian families and communities to care for others and serve society. For example, strive to become "peacemakers" (Matthew 5:9), fostering harmony, building relationships, and demonstrating fraternity. Be "people filled with the passion to transmit life;" care for brothers and sisters living in difficult situations, and pray for the deceased. May the 2025 Jubilee Year become an opportunity for all parishioners and Christian families to encounter the Lord, cross the Holy Door (Rome) together, and become spiritual leaven, beacons of hope, and havens of protection. Through words and actions, proclaim to the world that all people are "pilgrims" (Leviticus 25:23); that the Lord Jesus is the " Gate " of our salvation (cf. John 10:7); and that Christ is " our Hope " (1 Timothy 1:1). May each of us Christians live by faith, filled with firm hope, and dedicate ourselves in love to serve our brothers and sisters, as we await together the return of our Savior.  Gaby is a friend and contributor to the USCCA Blog. Tom McGuire, M.Div, M.R.E. is a Director Emeritus of the USCCA. Tom has served as a Maryknoll Missionary in Hong Kong and as Director of Campus Ministry at University of Detroit Mercy. He is now retired, living in Chicago with his family. ---------------------- 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.

Pope Francis, 1963–2025 The USCCA joins the Church in China, the Church in the U.S., and the global Church in remembering Pope Francis' significant contributions as priest and pontiff. In a speech delivered on the 18th of February 2018 , Cardinal Cupich of Chicago described how Pope Francis' gifts have led to "resituating mercy at the heart of the Gospel." Cardinal Chow of Hong Kong has also expressed his regard for Pope Francis in recent years, even nicknaming him the "Pope of Surprises" in 2023 . As a Catholic News Agency article has recounted, Pope Francis himself "expressed a personal devotion to Our Lady of Sheshan," and held "dream of visiting China and praying at the Sheshan shrine" in China. In light of the USCCA's mission of friendship, dialogue, and bridge-building, we invite you to consider the following two messages from Pope Francis: Communication has the power to build bridges, to enable encounter and inclusion, and thus to enrich society. How beautiful it is when people select their words and actions with care, in the effort to avoid misunderstandings, to heal wounded memories and to build peace and harmony. ~ message for the 50th World Communications Day, January 24, 20 16 It is neither a culture of confrontation nor a culture of conflict which builds harmony within and between peoples, but rather a culture of encounter and a culture of dialogue; this is the only way to peace. ~ Angelus, Sep 1, 2013 May the memory of Pope Francis be a blessing to us all.

by Tom McGuire, M.Div, M.R.E., USCCA Director Emeritus Today, we celebrate Easter in the year 2025. I invite you to read and meditate on five of the Jesus Sutras, Chinese texts from the seventh century, describing Christ’s Resurrection. Christian priests in a procession on Palm Sunday, in a 7th- or 8th-century wall painting from a church in China. The Jesus Sutras introduce Chinese people to Easter as a celebration of the Gospel of Light, a celebration of Hope in Christ’s Resurrection for all people. The Good News of Hope came to China as early as 635 CE as the Religion of Light or the Luminous Religion ( Jingjiao ). Written records, including the Jesus Sutras, of monks from the Eastern Syriac Church were found in an 11th-century secret sealed room in Dunhuang, Gansu Province, China. The Jesus Sutras document the Good News of Jesus within the Chinese cultural heritage of Confucian, Daoist, and Buddhist thought. Syriac monks, in dialogue with Chinese people, successfully translated the Christian message of Jesus as savior into a language and cultural context that was understandable to them. The discovery of the record of profound cultural encounters between Christian monks and Chinese people illustrates ways ‘the light for revelation’ found in Chinese cultural wisdom prepared for Christ’s light in China. The monks’ encounter with Chinese cultural life fulfilled the prophetic message of Simeon: “Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in sight of all the peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel” (Luke 2: 29-32). These quotes from the Jesus Sutras describe from a Chinese perspective “…the appearance of our savior Christ Jesus, who destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2 Tim 1:10): While his (Jesus’) Five Attributes (form, feelings, perceptions, mental activity and nature of knowing.) passed away, he did not die but was released again after his death. Thus, is it possible for even those who fail to live after death? (Sutra 4:20-21) Those who believe will be raised after death from the Yellow Springs (Underworld) , every one of them. (Sutra 6:14) He died, but after three days he escaped from the hold of death, through the action of the World-Honored One’s qi (life breath) . (Sutra 6:21) Through the holy wonders of the Messiah, all can escape becoming ghosts. All of us are saved by his works. You don’t need strength to receive him, but he will not leave you weak and vulnerable without qi. (Sutra 4:22-24) You may have been taught that people cannot save themselves. This is why the Heavenly Honored One sends the spirit force to all places to save everyone. It goes to all that live and teach the truth. This is different from what the various deities and spirits do. Sutra (7:36-39). Kin Sheung Chiaretto Yan 甄健湘, a friend of mine who teaches in Chinese Catholic seminaries and resides in China, provided the following commentary on the above quotations from the Jesus Sutras. Although I don’t have the original Chinese text of the Jesus Sutras; based on Martin Palmer’s translation, these are my comments... The passages speak precisely of Jesus rising from death. In his resurrection he transformed death to life, weakness to strength. All because of the saving works of Jesus, the fruits of the Holy Spirit, the Qi . Therefore, it actually is a message of Easter Hope. The fact that the Christian teachings brought to China is called in Chinese Jingjiao , the Luminous Religion or the Religion of Light, light speaks to us about love, peace, and hope of the resurrection. I can see from the Jesus Sutras the encounter and the effort of inculturating the Christian message through Oriental Philosophies. For example, using the five attributes from Hindu and Buddhist thoughts, and using the Qi from the dialects of Daoist philosophy.” To read the full article by Kin Sheung Chiaretto Yan 甄健湘 about the Eastern Syriac Church Missionary encounter with the people of China, navigate to "The introduction of Jingjiao to China: A new paradigm of interculturality between Christianity and China" . Quotes from the Jesus Sutras are Martin Palmer’s translations, included in posts by Victoria Emily Jones . Tom McGuire, M.Div, M.R.E. is a Director Emeritus of the USCCA. Tom has served as a Maryknoll Missionary in Hong Kong and as Director of Campus Ministry at University of Detroit Mercy. He is now retired, living in Chicago with his family. ---------------------- 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 March 20, ChinaSource hosted a free public lecture by Dr. Glen Thompson, Professor Emeritus of Asia Lutheran Seminary in Hong Kong. The topic of the lecture was "China's Earliest Christians: Who Were They and What Can We Learn From Them?" Dr. Thompson's book, Jingjiao: The Earliest Christian Church in China , was recently given an Award of Merit from Christianity Today . Promotional poster for the public lecture We are glad to share that ChinaSource has published the video of this lecture on YouTube. You may watch the lecture by clicking the "Play" icon in the video player below: ---------------------- 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 Father Rob Carbonneau, C.P., Ph.D. Palm Sunday 2008 — Chongqing, China (photo taken by Fr. Rob Carbonneau, C.P.) As we celebrate Palm Sunday and carry our palms to places of reverence in our homes, I invite you to reflect upon these women and the child pictured above. As they carry on their faith traditions, consider for a moment the ways in which you pass on the traditions of your Catholic and Christian faith from your generation to the next. What childhood traditions, learned from parents, siblings, grandparents, or relatives, are most memorable in your faith life today? Which family traditions have impacted your journey of faith? How has education strengthened your knowledge of faith and ability to teach others? How has your language and culture enriched your expression of religious prayer and rituals of devotion such as the Rosary? How has your church participation and Mass attendance helped you to create a community of faith and belief that brings the generations of young and old together? How have the suffering, death, and Resurrection taken place in your family in ways that are passed on from one generation to the next? May Palm Sunday 2025 remind you to be a source of love, warmth, and affection in passing your Catholic and Christian faith from your generation to the next. Father Robert Carbonneau, C.P., served as Executive Director of the US-China Catholic Association from 2014—2017. At the Ricci Institute for Chinese-Western Cultural History, he is historian and curator of the Passionist China Collection (PCC), an archive of over 16,000 photos and 60,000 documents, photographs, reports, films, and correspondence that reveal the twentieth century Passionist-based mission in Hunan, China. ---------------------- 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.

Have you signed up for updates from the USCCA Book Circle ? Book Circle discussions are held over Zoom on select Saturdays, 6 am PT / 7 am MT / 8 am CT / 9 am ET. In April (daylight saving time), this is 9pm Chinese Standard Time. Attendees from around the world come to discuss history, Chinese culture, theology, philosophy, and the life of the Church in China. Image from Angelico Press Since January, the Book Circle has been reading John C. H. Wu's Chinese Humanism and Christian Spirituality , available from Angelico Press for 15% off with the discount code wu15 . On April 26, discussion will focus on the first part of the chapter, "The Wisdom of Chuang Tzu: A New Appraisal," p. 59-76 (until the beginning of the subsection entitled "Moral Virtues and the Living Fountain"). Tom McGuire, a Book Circle participant, has shared a good video about Chuang Tzu that well supplements the content of this reading. You can view it by pressing the Play icon on the video player below: Please consider the following questions as your reading guide for April: How would you describe Chuang Tzu as a philosopher? Does Chuang Tzu help you see some things differently, especially on these weighty topics: the Absolute, Creator and creation, the presence of God, living and dying? Please note that in our last Book Circle discussion, we experienced some technical difficulties that prevented us from starting on time. These issues have been resolved. We extend our gratitude to the Book Circle participants for their continued interest in this ongoing program. ---------------------- 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 Father Rob Carbonneau, C.P., Ph.D. Lu Zhengxian (Photo credit: Anthony E. Clark Private Collection) Let us reflect on six ways that we might learn from the experiences of this notable Chinese Catholic. First: Lu was Born in Shanghai in 1871; he was familiar with Protestant Christianity and Confucian philosophy. Education led him to enter the Chinese Foreign Service in 1893 and assigned to St. Petersburg, Russia. There, in 1899, he married Bertha Bovy (1855-1926), a Belgian, and eventually converted to Catholicism. Meditation: No matter our age, taking time to listen to formative years of a person allows us reflect on the importance of family and the myriad of opportunities that shape our life journey. Second: Lu mourned the death of his Chinese Catholic mentor Xu Jingcheng (b. 1845), who was beheaded during the Boxer Uprising of 1900. Still, Lu continued to serve as a diplomat in the Qing Dynasty until its demise in 1911. Meditation: Mourning and enduring life during times of sorrow can be a genuine struggle, especially if it also impacts our friendships and the country of our birth. Third: From 1912 to 1919 Lu continued to apply his talents to assist China through this troubled decade. Meditation: Routine is important: we wake up and do our best with the gifts we have and contribute to society. Fourth: After World War I ended in 1918, Lu found himself as lead China diplomat at the 1919 Paris Peace Conference at Versailles, France. Incensed by the unfairness of the conference towards China, Lu refused to agree that China sign the Versailles Treaty. Meditation: One never knows when the moment will occur to take personal or public stand in life. Fifth: From 1922 to 1927 Lu represented China’s in a variety of capacities in Switzerland. However, grieved by the death of his wife in 1926, in 1927 Lu made the decision to gain comfort from his Catholicism, and become a postulant at the Benedictine monastery of Saint-Andrew’s Abbey in Bruges, Belgium, accepting the new name of Dom Pierre-Célestin Lu. In 1935, he was ordained a priest. He traveled throughout Asia giving lectures in support of Chinese war effort amid the devasting the Anti-Japanese War, 1937-1945. Meditation: In the face of world political and social instability, it is all-important to identify our moral compass. Nurturing this value provides us with capacity to act with wisdom and prudence, to ensure self-respect and promote the common good of all. Sixth: In August 1946, Pope Pius XII (1876-1958) appointed Lu the titular abbot of St Peter’s Abbey in Ghent, Belgium. In 1949 Lu died of natural causes in Bruges. Meditation: Being open to religious belief, spirituality and prayer allows us to see our journey in life as a dialogue with God, embracing the sacred tenets of world religious traditions to gain personal and social peace. To be inspired by the life of Dom Pierre-Célestin Lu, O.S.B., read his 1948 autobiography Ways of Confucius and of Christ: From Prime Minister of China to Benedictine Monk. With an introduction and notes by Joshua R. Brown . Ignatius Press, 2024. https://ignatius.com/ways-of-confucius-and-of-christ-wcwcp/ Father Robert Carbonneau served as Executive Director of the US-China Catholic Association from 2014—2017. At the Ricci Institute for Chinese-Western Cultural History, he is historian and curator of the Passionist China Collection (PCC), an archive of over 10,000 photos and 60,000 documents, photographs, reports, films, and correspondence that reveal the twentieth century Passionist-based mission in Hunan, China. ---------------------- 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 Mar 15, the Book Circle discussed a short chapter "Taoism" in John C. H. Wu's book, Christian Spirituality and Chinese Humanism . Participants shared rich observations on both the challenges and possibilities in living out Laozi's philosophical vision in the Daodejing . How does one retire when the work is done? How does one practice the art of wu-wei ? And how might the Daoist vision of humility and simplicity accord with the kenosis of Christ? Thanks to everyone for an edifying and stimulating conversation. Image from Angelico Press For April, we will read the first part of the chapter, "The Wisdom of Chuang Tzu: A New Appraisal," p. 59-76 (until the beginning of he subsection entitled "Moral Virtues and the Living Fountain"). Tom McGuire, a Book Circle participant, has shared a good video about Chuang Tzu that well supplements the content of this reading. You can find it here: Please consider the following questions as your reading guide for April: How would you describe Chuang Tzu as a philosopher? Does Chuang Tzu help you see some things differently, especially on these weighty topics: the Absolute, Creator and creation, the presence of God, living and dying? ---------------------- 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 Gaby Jesus himself came up and walked by their side. (Luke 24:15) With the improvement of living standards, people in China have ample clothing and food. Delicious cuisine and frenzied shopping cannot fill the void in people's spiritual lives. In recent years, an increasing number of young, middle-aged, and even elderly people have begun to contemplate the ultimate meaning of life. Therefore, they come to the church seeking answers. This phenomenon reflects that in contemporary society, the abundance of material in life cannot fully satisfy people's needs for spiritual fulfillment. After their material conditions are met, many turn to exploring the meaning of life, faith, and spiritual dimensions. As a result, the number of catechumens in each diocese is continuously increasing. The Rite of Christian Initiation (RCIA) facilitators in major city churches are searching for ways to catechize that suit modern people. To meet the needs of modern people, the Church is continuously adjusting and innovating the design of the catechumenate courses. Traditional methods of teaching catechism no longer fully align with contemporary learning habits and ways of thinking. Therefore, in 2025, the Ferdinand Verbiest Foundation is organizing a Pastoral Exchange and Visit program in Leuven to assist parish priests in nurturing Christians to practice their faith in daily life. During this program, participants will be introduced to adult catechumenate courses, methods and the book “Our Journey Together” to parish priest participants to help them become as efficient as possible in their catechetical work. This training is designed to help the priests quickly understand these methods so that they can apply what they have learned upon returning to their parishes in China. Our Journey Together is a systematic catechetical manual for adults joining the Church and a guide for establishing new evangelization communities. It is a catechetical course specifically focused on the needs of contemporary adult catechumens, designed to incorporate personal life experiences, active participation, interaction, and practical application, to help catechumens deepen their understanding of faith and live out the spirit of Christ in their daily lives. This book originates from South Africa and, with the consent of Bishop Oswald Hirmer, the Chinese version was published with the support of the Verbiest Foundation in Taibei in 1996. It was republished in 2016 with the support of the Verbiest Foundation at the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium. This book, known for its practical approach, was reissued in 2018. It has become an essential resource for Chinese catechists to lead and accompany catechumens, serving as an effective and versatile tool for spreading the Gospel. The methodology in this book is the Lumko approach. Every lesson follows the three-step approach of practical theology, SEE (reflection on life), JUDGE (listen to the Word of God), and ACT (acting in faith), making it easy for catechumens to connect faith with daily life. The catechumens discover Christ step by step in a relaxed, free, open, interactive community, on the journey to becoming a Christian. The core belief of this book emphasizes the concept of "community." The church is a communion of believers, and becoming a believer means entering the body of Christ—the church. One must be intimately connected with Christ, the head, and the other members of the body. For this reason, the book is titled "Our Journey Together”. The entire process of catechumenate takes place within the community. Consequently, the believers who emerge from this process are nurtured in the embrace and cradle of the Church. The facilitator leads the seekers through a catalytic teaching approach, first by focusing on the realities of their daily lives. Then, by listening to the Word of God, the facilitator connects the course themes with thought-provoking questions, guiding the seekers to reflect on and revisit their own experiences. This process gradually transforms and elevates the seekers, teaching them to view situations through the lens of Christ and to think and solve problems in Christ's way. They come to understand the teachings of the Church and, based on their circumstances, are continuously transformed in their response to the Lord's repeated calls. Throughout the catechumenate, seekers gradually come to know God, yearn for truth and build a relationship with Him. This approach effectively avoids creating a perception of God as an aloof and unapproachable deity, steering clear of one-sided indoctrination. Instead, this interactive and catalytic teaching method makes it easier for seekers to draw closer to the Church and God. It helps more seekers "enter and stay" in the Church, and also enhances the quality of newly baptized Christians, deeply rooting their faith in their hearts. In 2016, Father Zhen Xuebin the parish priest in the Beijing North Church (Beitang) at that time, boldly experimented with using Our Journey Together as a blueprint of a new process parallel with the lectures for the catechumens. During eight years of training in the Beijing North Church, facilitators guided the catechumens using the Our Journey Together method. The facilitators reported significant improvements in their own faith lives. All facilitators reflected on their experience, saying, “I do not dare say that I am a good facilitator, but through training and facilitating catechumens, I have been, first and foremost, deeply transformed.” The method also helps more seekers to come in and remain as members of the Church. The faith of the newly baptized has been deeply rooted in their hearts. Gaby is a friend and contributor to the USCCA Blog. ---------------------- 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.