Can you come and join us for three weeks this coming summer (August 25–September13, 2008)? The confreres of the Province of China invite you to participate in our seventh Vincentian China Experience. It’s a chance to get to know the people of Taiwan and China and listen to the call of the China Mission, a chance to become acquainted with the Chinese and missionary confreres (now from eight different provinces) and taste the language and the culture, and, of course, the food (!).
CHINESE PROVINCE
CONGREGATION OF THE MISSION
264 Chung Chen Road, Shihlin, Taipei 111 Taiwan, R.O.C. Tel: 886-2-2835-6773 Fax: 886-2-2835-6844
e-mail: congmiss@.seed.net.tw
February 27, 2008
To the Visitors of the Congregation of the Mission
Dear Father
I am writing today to announce our summer program for 2008. It’s called “A Vincentian China Experience.” It is for young confreres throughout the Congregation who are interested in the China Mission. In the summers of 1994 and 1995 seven confreres from different provinces joined us for a similar experience. The participants and our Catholic people still remember those days with special fondness as a time of joy, relationship and mutual discovery. We repeated the program last years with similar success. On the basis of last time’s experience, however, we will shorten this year’s program to three weeks, because it is hard for confreres to be away from their work for too long a time. The program will begin on August 25, 2008 and finish on September 13, 2008. We will spend 10 days on Taiwan and 10 days in China. In the past it has been a time of special blessing not only for those who come but for all of us here, and we hope for the same blessings this year.
I am enclosing an announcement that I ask you to distribute to your younger confreres and students. This program is particularly for those who feel called or who have a special interest in the China Mission. But let me add, this is not a recruiting program in the traditional sense. Rather we are trying to create an opportunity for those whom the Lord is calling to the China Mission to taste the life and mission here and test their calling to this mission.
The program will be conducted in English, so a participant will have to know some English, but does not have to worry as long as he has some English. Various confreres here speak French, Spanish, Indonesian, Tagalog, Polish, Hindi, etc. We can get by on a minimum of English and helping one another. I put it this way because in the past we were limited to English and French, but we would like to be as open as possible to all the confreres of the Congregation, still a minimum of English is required.
We can share expenses for the program in this way. Transportation to and from Taiwan will be the responsibility of the confrere who comes, or rather his province. The expenses of the program, including lodging, food, travel on Taiwan and in China will be borne by the Province of China.
I ask you to distribute the enclosed announcement to the young confreres and students of the province either by sending them copies or through your newsletter. Even if they cannot come they can know of the offer. Thanks very much for your help.
Your brother in Saint Vincent,
John Wang, C.M.
Provincial of the Chinese Province
VINCENTIAN CHINA EXPERIENCE
An Invitation
To the Young Confreres and Students of the Congregation of the Mission
Can you come and join us for three weeks this coming summer (August 25-September13, 2008)? The confreres of the Province of China invite you to participate in our seventh Vincentian China Experience. It’s a chance to get to know the people of Taiwan and China and listen to the call of the China Mission, a chance to become acquainted with the Chinese and missionary confreres (now from eight different provinces) and taste the language and the culture, and, of course, the food (!).
We invite you to join us for 10 days on Taiwan and 10 days in Mainland China. Come and experience Taiwan and China in the company of confreres whose love and joy among the Chinese will introduce you to the special gifts and spirit of the people.
Do you need to make a commitment to the China Province, if you come? No, you don’t. It’s not required. Our goal is to create an experience in which confreres whom the Lord is calling — who feel an attraction to the China Mission or have a special interest in it — might test their attraction or consider ways of sharing in the mission. Whatever you decide in the future, you can be an apostle for the China mission by sharing your experience with confreres and friends in your home province. If you come, you will not only enter into this experience, but you will help all of us here see and experience it with new eyes and ears – yours.
The works of the China Mission are diverse and challenging. We live among the people of Taiwan and the Aboriginal peoples of the East Coast and we are in regular and frequent contact with Catholics and others in China. Vincentian Youth Groups have sprung up in our parishes and St. Anne’s Home is known widely for its loving care of children with mental disabilities. Throughout the island the Filipino overseas workers have found a home in our parishes. We teach in St. Vincent’s High School, which was founded years ago by our Chinese confreres. We go freely to China, but are not allowed to engage in priestly and missionary activity to local people. We’ve found teaching French to university students and involved in social service to be a great grace. It’s the way of relationship and presence.
Do you need to speak Chinese? No, but you do, however, need to have some English. It doesn’t need to be fluent, but the program will be conducted in English. Our confreres speak many languages and we can help each other. But some English is required. The program is a balance of input, experience, discussion, sharing, travel, reflection, prayer, community — and even a chance to learn some Chinese characters!
Please apply through your provincial. Financially, we ask your province to take care of the cost of transportation to and from Taiwan. The China Province will be responsible for the costs of the entire program including travel to China. The deadline for applications is April 30, 2008. Hope to see you on August 25!
What will the experience involve?
- Getting acclimatized to life on Taiwan
- Hands on participation in the works of the confreres and Daughters of Charity
- Sharing experience, history and hopes
- Learning the stories of the confreres
- Sharing one’s own experience of vocation, church, ministry
- Exchanging hopes and dreams
- Growing as a community of faith and prayer through
- Daily Prayer and daily Eucharist
- Celebrations in the parishes
- Getting to know the Chinese culture and people through personal contact
- Evenings with young people and with families
- Getting in touch with Taoist, Confucian, Buddhist religions
- Weekly speakers on culture, society, evangelization
- A dynamic process of assimilation and dialogue
- Weekly processing of the personal dimensions of the experience:
- joys, disappointments, surprises, confusions, blessings
- Weekly theological reflection on evangelization
- Visits to the apostolates of the Vincentians and Daughters in Taipei, I-lan, Sze-Hu, Tainan, Kangshan, Kaohsiung, Dawu, Liukui and Taitung
- Some tourist excursions and free time (night market, etc.)
- A trip to the Mainland for 10 days.
- Final evaluation of the experience, including a word to the CMs of the Province
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APPLICATION FORM
Name__________________________________________Province_____________________
Address____________________________________________________________________
Phone___________________________ Fax or E-mail_______________________________
Please submit before April 30, 2008 to:
Very Reverend John Wang, C.M.
264 Chungcheng Road or Email to: congmiss@seed.net.tw
Shih lin, Taipei, TAIWAN 111
