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MSP TAIWAN DIOCESE OF HSINCHU 25TH ANNIVERSARY 1989-2014 A HINDSIGHT

I first arrived in Taiwan in the diocese of Hsinchu on July 20, 1989, on the third month after my ordination. A month earlier on the 4^th of June, the students’ democracy upheaval at Tien an men square in Beijing, was brutally squashed by the Chinese government.

After almost eleven years, I left Taiwan in May 2000 for sabbatical studies at Mater Dei Ministry Institute and Gonzaga University, Spokane, Washington, U.S.A.

After my sabbatical, I worked in the formation ministry for seven years. I returned to the diocese of Hsinchu, Taiwan on October 2, 2009 a couple of days after typhoon Ondoy devastated Metro Manila. Upon my return, a month later in November, I was fortunate to have attended the national closing activities of the yearlong celebrations of the 150^th anniversary of the evangelization of Taiwan. The celebration of the solemn mass was held at a gymnasium in Taoyuan City in the diocese of Hsinchu. Besides the presence of all the bishops of Taiwan and the representative of the Vatican, the then Archbishop of Manila, now cardinal emeritus Gaudencio Rosales was also present. A cardinal from Vietnam was also present. The President of the Republic of China in Taiwan, his Excellency Ma Ying Jio was also in attendance.

In March 2010, after few months of review of the Chinese language, I was temporarily assigned to St. Anne’s Parish in Miaoli deanery, due to the death of its pastor who was also the dean of Miaoli. Eight months later, I was assigned to St. Joseph Parish in Dahu town, taking the place of a fellow MSP, Fr. Julian Amamangpang who was transferred to Hsinchu City to another parish named after St. Joseph.

In December 2013, after three years in Dahu, I was transferred to the Immaculate Heart 0f Mary Parish in Nan Zhuang town, which was my former parish when I left Taiwan in year 2000. Nan Zhuang parish includes the town of Sanwan where the earlier MSP Taiwan district house was located. The building, which was used as an orphanage for two years, was then recently closed. I thought, it was providential that I was assigned back to Nan Zhuang and has now the opportunity to occupy it.

In 1994 when I was first assigned in Nan Zhuang, a month after my arrival the parish celebrated its 40^th foundation anniversary. In December 2013, few months after my return, the parish celebrated its 60^th foundation anniversary in June 2014. That is 20 years later after my first arrival.

Then a month later on July 20, 2014, the MSP celebrated its 25^th anniversary of presence in the diocese of Hsinchu. Taiwan. The venue of the celebration was in the former MSP Taiwan district house in Taiwan.

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