Models of Sanctity, from Martyrdom to Dying to Oneself
By Chiaretto Kin Sheung Yan
On All Saints Day, we venerate saints, those who have been recognized (canonized by the Church), and those known only to God, whose life is a source of inspiration for us to live a meaningful life and not to settle for a mediocre existence. Those holy persons known only by God are like seeds, similar to the martyrs, buried in the ground and to bear fruits in due time.
On the Feast of All Saints, I think of my friends, parents, and relatives who lived simple Christian lives, now gone before us to eternal life. I think of Matteo Ricci and Paulus Xu Guangqi, whose friendship has contributed to the appreciation and exchanges between the cultures of East and West, between Chinese humanism and Christian spirituality.
A saint could be crowned with a red crown, symbolizing martyrdom for their faith, or a white crown, symbolizing a life of heroic virtue. I remember the martyrs of China who offered their lives for Christ, their faith, and the Gospel. I also remember those who are witnesses to the world around them. For example, Fr. Josef Freinademetz, a missionary to China with heroic virtues, a living witness for Christ and to the people he served, living as he said, “I have come to love my Chinese… I would die for them a thousand times over.”
It is relevant today that Pope Francis canonized fourteen new saints on October 20, 2024, three nineteenth-century founders of religious orders, and the eleven Martyrs of Damascus who in 1860 refused to renounce their Christian faith in the Holy Land. Their testimony is especially meaningful to people who are suffering due to the ongoing war and violence in the Middle East.
Thinking of the many divides, hatred, and egoism in the world today, we need all the more testimonies of mutual understanding and friendship. Holiness without self-interest, dying to self, and sometimes losing one’s ideas for the love of others in living a daily Christian life.
On the Feast of All Saints, I think of my friends, parents, and relatives who lived simple Christian lives, now gone before us to eternal life. I think of Matteo Ricci and Paulus Xu Guangqi, whose friendship has contributed to the appreciation and exchanges between the cultures of East and West, between Chinese humanism and Christian spirituality. Let’s pray that they will be recognized as saints. They are a gift to the world today, a symbol of mutual friendship and dialogical relationships among peoples and cultures.
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Our MISSION
Inspired by the Gospel, the mission of the US-China Catholic Association is to build bridges of friendship and dialogue
between the people of China and the United States by offering educational, service, and cultural programs supporting the Church and the larger society.
Our VISION
The US-China Catholic Association was founded in 1989 by concerned U.S. bishops Maryknoll, the Jesuits, and representatives of other religious orders to promote mutual support and fraternal ties between the Church in China and the U.S. Church.
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As USCCA looks forward to 2025 -- and our next 35 years -- we remain dedicated to our mission of building bridges, fostering friendship, dialogue, and accompaniment through our core initiatives of :
Chinese and American Friendship Ministry, for college and university students
The Book Circle, meets monthly
30th International Biennial Conference (Summer 2026 - Houston, TX)
Study Tours to China
Speaker Series
Mission Appeal
The USCCA is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization. Your donations are tax-deductible to the maximum extent allowed by law. The success of our work depends upon the generosity of people like you. Please give to the USSCA's 2024 Annual Appeal.
If you have enjoyed reading the USCCA website and want to learn more about our mission, please get in touch with Gerald Doyle, Interim Chief Administrative Officer, at director@uschinacatholic.org.
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