By James McCaslin, ssc

A bamboo curtain came down around China when Communism took over in the early ‘50s. Missionaries were imprisoned or expelled. Native Chinese priests were executed, tortured and imprisoned. A pall of sadness settled over Christians who went into hiding like in the catacombs of Rome in the time of Nero. China was struggling to stand up and declare her independence before the world and the Church-so associated in some Chinese minds with excessive colonial powers in the past – suffered in the process. We wondered in fear what was happening to the four million Catholics especially during the excesses of the cultural revolution. Then after the death of Mao Zse Tung that bamboo curtain began to part a little. Christians emerged from the catacombs and we suddenly realized with joy that they were alive and well and that the terrible pruning had born much fruit.

Meantime Hong Kong, once part of the great British Empire had been returned (reluctantly) to China and with it a huge Filipino population of overseas contact workers, around 150, 000. By a quirk of history these Filipinos now find themselves part of the New China. And as Fr. James McCaslin, Columban missionary in China tells us: They are bringing their faith with them.

It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon, August 31, when Eugene Arco was ordained a deacon and Charlie Oasan a priest by the Bishop of Hong Kong, Cardinal John Baptist Wu. Members of the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (CICM), the two Filipinos are assigned to the China Province and have studied Cantonese for two years prior to the ordination. In their words of thanks they showed the large crowd of Chinese and Filipinos how proficient they have become in Chinese.

Families and friends from the Philippines celebrated the exciting event with hundreds of their kababayan, most of whom are domestic helpers in Hong Kong. It was a very proud moment for all of us that our people are “doing missions” as priests and religious. It was also a moment of “mission” for our OCWs to demonstrate their faith in song and dance, full of joy by which they daily share their Catholic Faith. Seasoned by the Filipinos, the future Church of China will be much richer than the past, and in fact, mainly though our workers, the process had already begun.