Dallon Ryall attended the English Mass in Wuhan, China for two years. He appreciated the support received from Columbans in Wuhan and is a keen reader of Church publications. Two years ago his newborn daughter was baptized at Wuhan by full immersion on Easter Sunday. There was great applause in the church when this took place.
In early 2013, I had been living and working in China for over 10 years. I was married there and our beautiful baby girl Ada had just been born, a name derived from an ancient Hebrew name meaning “adornment”.
I had managed to find my way to a Catholic church, the Wuhan Holy Family Catholic Church, one of only two in a city of some ten million people. I was there to arrange Ada’s baptism. Being of more practical mind, not one for the pomp and ceremony of such an occasion, I didn’t care if it was done in Chinese or any other language, but I soon discovered that there was a vibrant international community there that celebrated Mass in English most weekends. I think it was at that point I decided, or it was decided for me, that I would start attending church again. It may be that I would have been going much earlier had I known Mass was celebrated each week in my language, but that is a moot consideration; it was Ada’s birth that motivated me to actually seek out a Catholic Church.
This particular Sunday, the English-speaking priest was away in Hong Kong, and Mass was being celebrated in French by a priest who was flown in from Shanghai by the community at the local Citroen (a French car manufacturer) plant. However, I was able to obtain a phone number for the English speaker, and I was happily on my way.
Thus entered Columban Fr Dan Troy into our lives. It was a couple of weeks before I could get a hold of him, but when I did, I arranged to meet him for dinner one night. I met who I now know as one of the gentlest, most unassuming men I have ever come across, which was very lucky for me as I was about to make my first confession after what I only half-jokingly call my 30-year sabbatical from the practice of the faith, no easy task I can assure you.
The following Sunday was the day I made my confession and celebrated the Eucharist once again. And by beautiful design, the Gospel reading for the day was that of the Prodigal Son. I cannot believe that was by mere chance.
What a load off! Seriously! It was one of those rare moments in life when it has been proven to me that mind (or spirit) and body are one in so many ways. The load off my soul was just as really a load off my shoulders, and, unable to avoid the cliché on this occasion, I went home that day with a new lease on life. I remain ever so humbled that one like I could be so lovingly welcomed back “home”. I am living proof that our God truly is a God of mercy and love.
Ada was baptised by Fr Dan a few weeks later on Easter Sunday. Little did I know what excitement it would cause. After a few adults were baptised, Ada’s naked body being lowered into the baptismal font was greeted by oohs and ahs and cheers from all corners of the church. It was great, despite our almost single-minded preoccupation with getting Ada rugged up again, for it was the middle of winter. This and the reactions to the other baptisms were borne of what I now know to be the great joy and enthusiasm with which these people practice their faith.
The international congregation started about ten years ago when a handful of students went to the Chinese priest, Fr Shu, and asked for a weekly Mass in English. He graciously agreed, and the first Mass was celebrated on Christmas Day 2006. I am told about seven students attended the first celebrations. Some time after, due to his limited English, Fr Shu invited Fr Dan to assist him in saying the Mass on a weekly basis. By the time I came along, Mass was being attended by a couple of hundred people, sometimes more.
It is perhaps quite a unique congregation. I would estimate some 60 to 80 countries were represented while I was there, making it a truly international community. It is a transient congregation. No one stays in China forever. And it was largely a young crowd, mostly foreign university students, with expats of all other ages and occupations making up the considerable remainder. I don’t know if one could find another congregation like it in the world.
One thing is for certain. The youthfulness of the crowd lends itself to a palpable, vibrant joy and enthusiasm in celebrating Mass that I have not experienced anywhere else. One can feel how happy everyone is that Sunday has rolled around again. The choir, which would number 20 on a good day, does a great job in selecting hymns and singing them in a way that reflects and magnifies the joy and enthusiasm.
One can also sense a great appreciation for the contributions from Fr Dan and his Columban colleagues. They are visible in being celebrants, arriving early to offer Reconciliation and even faith education classes for newcomers.
Personally, I feel so privileged that Fr Dan just happened to be the “local priest” at the time of my return from sabbatical and that the Wuhan Holy Family Catholic Church just happened to be the place I returned to. Mere chance? I don’t know. Of course Ada is forever tied to Fr Dan and this church also, in an even more important way.
And as for Ada today? Well, she continues, as she has done since the day of her birth, to adorn the lives of all who encounter her.