By Rev. Louis Aldrich, S.J.
I greet you as a member of the China Province of the Society of Jesus. For the past 28 years, I have been serving as a Jesuit missionary in Taiwan, most recently as director of the Evangelism Section of the School of Theology at Fu Jen University.
As we all know, the Chinese people are blessed with one of the oldest, richest, and most advanced cultures in history. Yet today, at the beginning of the 21st century, most Chinese are still waiting to hear the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In fact, less than 2% of the Chinese are baptized members of the Roman Catholic Church. Many of us Catholics who love and respect the Chinese also deeply feel the need to follow Christ’s command to proclaim the Gospel among all peoples including the Chinese.
Currently, many bishops, priests, and religious are spreading the Good News among the Chinese. But the need to proclaim Christ’s message is urgent and the work is so great that laymen and women are now essential partners in the Church’s mission of evangelization. Indeed, lay Catholics who have received spiritual, theological, and evangelical formation are already making a major contribution as full-time lay missionaries.
That’s where our organization comes into the picture. Chinese Lay Missionaries is a joint effort of the California and China Provinces of the Society of Jesus. Our goal is to form effective Chinese lay missionaries and provide them with support in three main areas:
Formation. To provide laypersons with the spiritual, theological, and professional formation so they can become effective full-time missionaries. The formation program is based at the School of Theology at Fu Jen University.
Support. To provide laypersons with an adequate salary and other benefits so they can devote their full energy to proclaiming the Gospel. They will be based at Evangelism Centers where two to four lay missionaries work together.
Research. The School of Theology has established an Evangelism Research Center to study the various methods of evangelism being used by other parts of the Catholic Church, Protestant churches, and non-Christian Chinese religions. The information will be used to develop the most effective methods of evangelizing among the Chinese.
On behalf of the Chinese Lay Missionaries, I humbly ask you to remember us in your prayers and, if you find it in your heart, to provide financial support by making a tax-deductible gift to the California Province of the Society of Jesus (note that your gift is intended for the Chinese Lay Missionaries). Together, we can carry Christ’s message to Chinese people all around the world including the United States.
For more information on the Chinese Lay Missionaries program and how you can help, send an e-mail to Father Louis Aldrich.
