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Bishop Ignatius C. Wang celebrated 60 years of priesthood July 6 at St. Mary’s Cathedral. The Mass also celebrated the Chinese Martyrs and dedicated special prayers for the church in China. (Photo by Debra Greenblat/Catholic San Francisco)
July 19, 2019
Nicholas Wolfram Smith
Celebrating his 60th anniversary of priesthood and the feast of the Chinese Martyrs in a July 6 Mass at St. Mary’s Cathedral, retired Auxiliary Bishop Ignatius C. Wang encouraged Catholics to be courageous and joyful in their lives.
“Rejoice always (like St. Paul), always be happy, don’t hesitate to be joyous because our happiness will lead others to Christ,” he said.
Bishop Wang said his own life had been transformed as a child by encountering the joy of French-Canadian missionaries who would visit his home in Beijing.
“They were always smiling and playing with me and I decided one day I wanted to be happy like that,” he said.
Twin themes of joy and persecution wove together in the celebration. Bishop Wang encouraged his listeners to not be afraid of persecution, whether subtle or overt, since it has always led to the growth of the church and reminded them to pray for persecutors.
He noted that “During the early church, most saints were martyrs, and the church continued to grow and spread throughout the world.”
In addition to celebrating Bishop Wang’s ordination anniversary, the Mass was dedicated to honoring the Chinese martyrs and praying for the church in China. Cardinal William J. Levada, Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone and retired Bishop of Santa Rosa Daniel F. Walsh attended.
The Feast of the Chinese Martyrs, instituted Oct. 1, 2000, by Pope St. John Paul II, commemorates 120 men and women who were killed for their faith from 1648 to 1930.
Father Peter Zhai, director of Chinese ministry for the archdiocese, spoke at the end of Mass about the importance of the Chinese martyrs for the church.
“A lot of us grew up in a very dark, persecuted church,” he said. When he was growing up, Father Zhai said, priests and religious were imprisoned and the churches were closed.
“But no matter what, we had this strong faith supported by Jesus Christ,” he said.
Father Zhai said his mother had taught his family in secret about their faith and prepared them for martyrdom, telling them “when you believe in Jesus, people may harm or persecute you, but no matter what, never give up your faith.”
Faith and family were inextricable for many, Father Zhai said.
“So many of our ancestors, our parents and grandparents cherished the faith. That’s why we gather today to celebrate the Chinese martyrs. When we feel their joy and dedication and how much they loved God, the blood should circulate fast in each of us so we can bring Jesus to others,” he said.
“Always remember the blood of martyrs is inside each of us,” Father Zhai said. “We have our parents and grandparents blood, they have kept the faith strong so that the church can continue to grow and the Gospel continue to spread.”