29th International Conference: A Gift and an Opportunity By Daniel Lang I feel delighted to read that our next USCCA conference is coming. While I'd certainly like to be back there if I could (in the great city of Chicago, too!), I'm hard at work in Asia. Still, that's an exciting example of the friendships made through USCCA and why I encourage you to attend. My attendance at the most recent 2021 USCCA Conference during the waning COVID-19 pandemic years catalyzed an opportu

On April 24, 1929, three young Passionists were murdered at the hands of bandits while serving as missionaries in Hunan, China. This event impacted U.S. Catholic history, shaped the Holy See's relations with China, and influenced the diplomatic policy of the U.S. Department of State in China during that era. We invite you to learn about these missionaries through a virtual presentation by Fr. Rob Carbonneau: "95 Years Later: Remembering the Life, Death, and Memory of Three Y

In April, the USCCA Book Circle discussed Bede Bidlack’s article, “Merton’s Way of Zhuangzi : A Critique.” This article opened us to the world of Daoism through Merton’s translation of Zhuangzi. We explored some of the reasons why Asian wisdom became attractive to Americans during the 1960s and continues to do so today. We also pondered some of the challenges facing the Christian church as it interacts with not only Daoism's philosophical aspects, but also popular cultural pr

Dear Friends in Christ, We hope to see you at the 29th International Conference on August 2–4 at DePaul University. The theme of this year's conference is: "Our Hope Is In Christ" A provisional conference program is now available describing some of the panels, speakers, and events that will occur during the Conference. You can view the latest conference program right here on our website . Which events and activities pique your interest? Please note that as a provisional sched

Dear Friends in Christ, We hope to see you over Zoom at the next USCCA Book Circle. Our next discussion will be held on April 20, 2024 at 7 am PT / 8 am MT / 9 am CT / 10 am ET / 10 pm China Standard Time. This month, we will be reading "Merton's Way of Zhuangzi : A Critique," a chapter by comparative theologian Bede Bidlack in Merton & The Tao: Dialogues With John Wu and the Ancient Sages . We will be discussing the following questions: Bede Bidlack states that postmodern s

Jesus said, “You are my friends.” By Tom McGuire, USCCA Board member From August 2-4, 2024, the USCCA's 29th International Conference will gather people from China, the United States, and other parts of the world to build bridges of friendship and dialogue with each other. This Gospel-inspired mission flows from our intimate friendship with Jesus, who chose us with the words, “You are my friends because I have made known to you everything I have learned from my Father.” Matt

Theme: Our Hope is in Christ Why participate in the 29th International Conference? We are very pleased to share that Cardinal Cardinal Blase J. Cupich , Archdiocese of Chicago, will be the presider at the liturgy on Saturday, August 3, 2024, at 5:00 pm at  St. Vincent de Paul Parish - Chicago. Top Ten+ Reasons to attend and participate in the 29th International Conference! 1. Opportunity to dream together in our shared Hope in Christ for a better future in our divided world

Easter: A meditation- completing the journey of Lent with baptism.   The USCCA invites you to participate in the journey of Lent.  Not everyone is a "cradle Catholic." Not everyone is baptized soon after their birth. For some, the forty-day journey of Lent can also be the intentional and reflective time before being baptized on Easter. The Passionist China Collection: 800.02_073.005. While some are willing to proclaim their personal conversion story, others value the solitude

9 March 2024, Summary authored by Kathy Stout ,   Ph.D. in Theology and adjunct professor, The University of Dayton In our second meeting, the Book Circle discussed Fr. Arturo Sosa’s 2019 article, “The Church in China: Notes for ‘Writing the Future.’” Fr. Sosa’s forward-looking vision inspired a wonderful conversation on three topics: the inculturation of the Gospel, the urbanization of the Chinese Catholic church, and the complexity of Sinicizing Christianity. We were fortun

Palm Sunday: A Meditation- Remembrance of celebration and sufferings.       The USCCA invites you to participate in the journey of Lent. The Palm Sunday liturgy acknowledges the beginning of Holy Week. Churches are often filled. It is essential to reflect on how we are united with other people in the churches worldwide who also receive their blessed palms. Of course, this first part of the Palm Sunday liturgy recalls Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem. These people knew o

By Tom McGuire, USCCA Board In preparation for the 29th USCCA International Conference, Theme: Our Hope is in Christ at DePaul University in Chicago, August 2-4, 2024. Tom McGuire, a member of the Chicago Chapter of the Maryknoll Affiliates, led a conversation with Chapter members about the USCCA mission and Catholics in China. The conversation began with the inspiring words of Maryknoll Bishop James Edward Walsh, M.M., who, in July 1970, walked into Hong Kong after being re

Week Five: A meditation- Catechists as apostles of modern faith and belief during Lent. How did you learn about your religious beliefs?  Your age might influence how you answer this question.   It might have been by attending your parish Saturday, Sunday, or weekday after-school catechism class. Maybe it was via home-school religious instruction. Or, as a convert, you might have participated in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). Posted photo is 800.01_070.015

Week Four: A meditation - fasting and abstinence during Lent.  The USCCA invites you to participate in the journey of Lent.  Diverse religious traditions of world agree that fasting and abstinence can be helpful throughout various times during our spiritual journey. The Gospel of Mathew 4:11 tells us how Jesus "fasted forty days and forty nights and afterwards was hungry." This fourth week of Lent we might consider our relationship with food. While some might equate fasting a

Week Three: A meditation-focused prayer during Lent.  The USCCA invites you to participate in the journey of Lent.  Lent provides us with the opportunity to draw closer to God in prayer. Photo: Rev. Rob Carbonneau, C.P., Ph.D. With confidence in God, these forty days enable each of us to deepen our spiritual life. For many, this means making the commitment to attend daily Mass, recite the Rosary, read Scripture or special devotions, light a candle at home, take a solitary wal

Week Two: A meditation on Mary, Jesus, and the love of God.    The USCCA invites you to participate in the journey of Lent.  Across cultures, Mary is a source of consolation. As the mother of Jesus, many turn to her with their hopes.  She was present at the marriage feast of Cana (John 2 : 1-12). And many turn to her as she knows of sorrow. She stood at the foot of the Cross as Jesus suffered (John 19: 25).  Lent encourages us to gain stamina and strength through her exampl

On Saturday, Feb 17, 2024, the online Book Circle met for the first time in the new year. Participants came from diverse backgrounds, including a few Chinese students studying in the US. We discussed two pieces of writing: the conclusion to Fr. Jean Charbonnier’s 2007 book, Christians in China , and John Wu, Jr.’s article about the friendship between his father John C. H. Wu and Thomas Merton, "God-inebriated." Charbonnier’s observations led to some first-hand personal refl

By Chiaretto Yan Kin-sheung, a Catholic Chinese theologian and author of My Chinese Dream As reported in a Catholic News Agency article on January 12, 2024, Pope Francis met with representatives of DIALOP (Transversal Dialogue Project), an association of European leftist politicians, academics, and members of the Focolare Movement, of which I am a member. One of DIALOP's main goals is to bridge Catholic social teaching and Marxist theory. DIALOP promotes and supports dialogu

Week One: A Meditation on Friendship and Suffering The US-China Catholic Association (USCCA) invites you to participate in the journey of Lent. All of us are people of friendship. All of us are people of suffering. How easy is it for us to travel the six weeks of Lent and forget that it is the strength of friendship that sometimes actually provides us the willingness to take up and carry the cross for the suffering people around us? Likewise, acknowledgment of friendship and

On the eve of Chinese New Year, the Pope Expresses His Closeness to China By Tom McGuire, Board Member Pope Francis greeted all who celebrate the Spring Festival that begins Saturday, February 10, 2024. His greeting expressed a feeling of closeness in his heart for all in China, Southeast Asia, and around the world who observe the celebration as “an opportunity to experience relationships of affection and gestures of attention, which contribute to creating a supportive and fr

Board Member Fr Doug Mullin, O.S.B. Elected  Abbot Doug of St John’s Abbey  My wife Florence and I watched, online, The Blessing of Abbot Doug Mullin, our friend and member of the U.S. China Catholic Association Board. We received a letter from Fr Geoffrey Fecht, OSB acknowledging our online presence. We share a section of his letter that describes the significance of the blessing and the role of the Abbot in his monastic community at St John's. Abbot Doug has been a faithful