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

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

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 Res

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 vide

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, le

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 Chris

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

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 contemp

By Father Rob Carbonneau, C.P., Ph.D., Director Emeritus, USCCA Image of the memorial marker in Yuanling, Hunan, China. Photo by Rob Carbonneau, C.P. Copyright Passionist China Collection. In 2024, local Chinese Catholics in Yuanling, Hunan, China dedicated this memorial marker to remember the 9 United States Passionists, 6 Sisters of Charity from Convent Station, New Jersey, 1 Grey Sister from Canada and 1 lay doctor from Germany. All gave their lives in service alongside th

How has this Lenten season challenged you to grow in your faith? Journeying together through the midpoint of Lent in 2025, we invite you to read this year's Lenten pastoral letter from Cardinal Stephen Chow Sau-yan, SJ, Cardinal of Hong Kong . In his letter, Cardinal Chow reminds us that it is "wise to examine our hearts and re-orient them to where we want to be in eternity." May Catholics in the U.S. and in China grow together in friendship and dialogue as we journey through

By Yiyi Zhang Photo of Mother Elizabeth, shared with Yiyi Zhang by Mother Eliane, who serves at the Skete of the Holy Cross in Romania, founded by Mother Elizabeth. Mother Elizabeth, a cloistered missionary in Chongqing, endured profound turmoil in the middle of the 20th century. Yet, her memoir reveals a soul who carried the cross not with despair, but with peace, hope, and even joy. She kept a gentle smile while facing war, persecution and upheaval, not because it was easy,

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 e

by Kathy Stout, Ph.D. This Lent, may you taste a portion of the transfiguration experienced by Wu and promised by Christ. Image from The University of Notre Dame Press To strengthen us in our Lenten journey, the Church recalls the memory of Jesus’s Transfiguration on Mount Tabor in this Sunday’s reading. According to St. Maximus the Confessor, the Transfiguration reveals the future of human destiny as a direct participation in the divine light of God. The second reading of th

Have you ever wondered about the first Christians in China? On March 20, ChinaSource will host a free public lecture by Dr. Glen Thompson, Professor Emeritus of Asia Lutheran Seminary in Hong Kong. The topic of the lecture will be "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 .  Dr. Thompson will introduce us to a

by Rev. Rob Carbonneau, CP, Ph.D. image from The Ricci Institute for Chinese-Western Cultural History at Boston College The life of Xu Guangxi reminds us how our Lenten encounters offer us the opportunity to increase our respect for people we meet, intellectual discovery, and offering support for greater religious understanding and harmony. Xu Guangqi first met a Catholic missionary in Guangdong, China in 1596. In 1600, he traveled to Nanjing to visit Jesuit Matteo Ricci (155

This Lenten season, may we remember Pope Francis's invitation to "journey together in hope" ( Message of the Holy Father Francis for Lent 2025 ): This Lent, God is asking us to examine whether in our lives, in our families, in the places where we work and spend our time, we are capable of walking together with others, listening to them, resisting the temptation to become self-absorbed and to think only of our own needs. Let us ask ourselves in the presence of the Lord whether

Have you heard about the USCCA's Book Circle Discussions ? Through Zoom meetings on select scheduled Saturdays, we learn together about history, Chinese culture, theology, philosophy, and the life of the Church in China. The next Book Circle discussion will be held on March 15, 2025; we will be discussing the section entitled "Taoism" (pp. 51–57) in John C. H. Wu's Chinese Humanism and Christian Spirituality , which is now available from Angelico Books for 15% off with the di

Looking back on the year of the USCCA's 35th anniversary, we appreciate the historical and ongoing importance of our mission to build bridges of peace and friendship across countries and cultures. In 2024, the USCCA promoted dialogue through programs like the Book Circle, the Chinese and American Friendship Ministry, and the 29th USCCA International Conference with the help of supporters like you. We invite you to read more about the USCCA's mission and accomplishments in our

The USCCA Board of Directors was pleased to welcome Dr. Kathy (Huili) Stout and Ms. Vicky (Lianghui) Sun as Incoming Associate Directors. Dr. Stout (left), who has been serving as a USCCA Book Circle organizer for over a year, 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

On February 15, 2025, the USCCA Book Circle gathered to discuss pp. 15–50 of John C. H. Wu's Chinese Humanism and Christian Spirituality . In these passages, Wu shares his perspective on "Mencius' Philosophy of Human Nature and Natural Law" (pp. 15–35) and on "The Spirit of Joy in the Chinese Sages" (pp. 39–50). This Book Circle discussion touched on such themes as natural law, joy as harmony, and the mandate of heaven understood through Catholic tradition and Chinese cultu