Forming Saints in China
By Katie Prejean McGrady
I walked into the tiny hotel room, exhausted after a transatlantic flight and a bumpy van ride across Rome. I needed to drop my bags and rush back down to the gathering hall for the opening session of the Pre-Synod Meeting of Youth and Young Adults. We were going to receive our agendas, welcome kits, and then have dinner, and I was (at least by American standards of keeping time) late.
As I rushed into the room and threw my suitcase and backpack onto the bed, I noticed my roommate had clearly already been there. Her things were neatly laid out on her nightstand: a Bible, a universal charger adaptor, and a book, The Church in China.
Later that evening I met Rosa, who was delighted when I told her my daughter was named Rose. We didn’t talk much the first night we shared the room. Jet lag was definitely taking its toll on us both. But the next morning we sat together at breakfast and began to visit. I told her about being a teacher and youth minister. She said she was beginning studies for her master’s degree in education. We talked about our families, and she wanted to see pictures of my home, youth conferences, and of course, little baby Rose.
As luck would have it, we were also assigned to the same working group, so along with about fifteen other young adults, we talked about the Church and the role of youth and young adults throughout the week.
Being from mainland China, Rosa offered perspective about the persecution of Christians, the struggle between the government and the bishops, and the opinions so many seem to have about the Church in China. She explained how information and access to social media, Google, and television shows is often limited or censored. Video formation programs from the United States were secretly sent over to China, she said.
On the third night, as we were getting ready for bed, Rosa talked about the persecution she’d faced as a Catholic. Churches were often open only on Sunday for Mass, and even then, with a government presence to monitor the homily and to make sure worshippers immediately dispersed to avoid a large gathering. Sacramental formation for First Communion and Confirmation was nearly non-existent at parishes. It had to happen within families and resources were limited. Retreats, youth conferences, donuts after Sunday Mass, and a Eucharistic Adoration chapel were not available. It sounded like a very lonely life for a Catholic.
Up to that point, I had very little knowledge of what it’s like to be Catholic in China. There’s so much information and disinformation about the experience of Catholics there and a seeming battle among the underground Church, the government-approved Catholic Church, the bishops appointed by the Chinese leaders, and those appointed by the Vatican.
As we each laid in our beds, I asked Rosa what she wanted people to know about Catholics in China. Expecting her to give me an explanation about the political dynamics or the ins-and-outs of regulations, I opened up the notes app on my phone, ready to write down what she said. Instead, she whispered, “Pray for the Church in China, Katie. We are slowly being made saints.”
That conversation has stuck with me for three years, compelling me to pray for the Church in China, and propelling me to learn more about what Catholics there face every day. The ins and outs are complex, to be sure. Engaging with the Church in China and aiding Catholics there is an ongoing effort led by various organizations trying to shine a light on the situation and offer help where needed.
Here are a few resources for more information:
- A mini-documentary from America Catholic Media
- The US-Catholic China Association
- NPR’s “All Things Considered” story about the way a Catholic community in China worshiped during Christmas
Download this article as a PDF here.
Katie Prejean McGrady is a Catholic speaker and the project manager of Ave Explores and the host of the Ave Explores and Ave Spotlight podcasts.
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