From Fr. Aldrich's Desk

Your generosity has enabled us to renew the mission of "first proclamation evangelism" through local lay missionaries in Taiwan. Now we see two types of fruits resulting from this generosity. First, CLM has officially become the "Catholic Chinese Lay Missionary Foundation." This new foundation was set up by the Society of Jesus and will continue to focus on finding, forming, and supporting local, lay missionaries to do "first proclamation" evangelism among Chinese everywhere in the world. Second, in Taiwan we see real fruits in conversions and baptism. For example, in the Archdiocese of Taipei, our lay missionaries worked in four of the six parishes that had the highest number of baptisms during the eighteen-month celebration of the Catholic Church's 150 years in Taiwan. In the rest of this newsletter you will read more of these good fruits.
With your help we have made a good start and now have become a Foundation. I know we still have much to improve in all areas of first proclamation evangelism: finding catechumens, leading them to a basic conversion, instructing them in the content of the Faith, teaching them to pray and develop a spiritual life, pastoral care during their catechumen period and first year after Baptism, cooperating well with local parish and teaching parishioners how to do One-Brings-One invitation of non-Catholics to the catechumen courses, etc., but we are constantly evaluating and trying to improve. Relying on your continued partnership in this mission, we can look toward the future with a realistic optimism that together we can contribute to many Chinese coming to know and love Jesus and the Father.