FJCU’s Bachelor’s Program in Catholic Studies Visits Macao for Pilgrimage and Academic Exchange
FJCU's Bachelor's Program in Catholic Studies Visits Macao for Pilgrimage and Academic Exchange
07
Jul
07/07/2025
From June 26 to 30, 2025, a delegation of 14 students from Fu Jen Catholic University’s Bachelor’s Program in Catholic Studies (FJCU) embarked on a five-day pilgrimage and academic exchange in Macao.
From June 26 to 30, 2025, a delegation of 14 students from Fu Jen Catholic University’s Bachelor’s Program in Catholic Studies (FJCU) embarked on a five-day pilgrimage and academic exchange in Macao. The group was led by Fr. John Lai Shou-chung, Vicar General of the Tainan Diocese and former Fu Jen chaplain, Fr. Solomon Ho (OP), current chaplain of FJCU, and Dr. Chen Wen-hsiang, the program’s director.
Upon arrival in Macao, the delegation visited the Ilha Verde campus of the University of Saint Joseph (USJ), where they held an hour-long meeting with USJ’s Rector, Reverend Professor Stephen Morgan. The rector warmly welcomed the group, encouraging them to take advantage to immerse themselves in Macao’s rich religious atmosphere and to trace the footsteps of missionaries, reflecting on the historical “West-to-East” spread of knowledge, through the academic perspective.
Fr. Lai emphasized the shared educational and societal mission of Fu Jen and USJ, stating, “The purpose of Catholic education extends beyond practical life to a transcendent, noble dimension. Church-run universities must elevate human thought toward the eternal value of inner life.” He further noted that Catholic universities should uphold faith-informed rationality, adopting a research-oriented approach to deepen and enrich the foundations of faith. With its century-long history, with the MoU signed earlier this year, Fu Jen University aims to collaborate with USJ to provide graduates with opportunities for further studies.
On Friday, June 27, the delegation visited the office of the Macao Catholic Culture Association (ACCM), where they met with Ms. Joni Cheng, office director of ACCM. Ms. Cheang introduced the “Pilgrims of Hope: Macau Sacred Relics Pilgrimage” initiative and invited the group to visit four designated churches along the pilgrimage route, completing a stamp-collection task as part of their spiritual journey in Macao.
A highlight of the trip occurred on Saturday (June 28) afternoon. The delegation first visited St. Lawrence Church and St Augustine’s Church, followed by St. Joseph’s Seminary Church. After touring the Seminary’s Treasury of Sacred Art Museum and its library, the group attended the second presentation session of the Master’s Program in Catholic Studies, focusing on thesis progress. Those gathered also listened to a sharing given by the guest speaker, Mr. Wu Yu Cong, PhD student from Sun Yat-sen University, on medieval and modern philosophy. One of the USJ master’s students presented on “Lonergan’s Cognitive Operations,” sparking lively discussion. Contributions from Mr. Wu and Dr. Chen Wen-hsiang, himself a Lonergan scholar of note in the Chinese speaking academia, provided valuable insights, which all present found highly beneficial. The session concluded with an overview of USJ’s Master in Catholic Studies programme, with both sides expressing enthusiasm for deepening future academic collaboration, and all staff and students ended the day with sharing a meal at the St. Joseph’s Seminary dining hall, fostering closer bonds between members of the two Catholic universities.
On Sunday (June 29), the FJCU delegation attended Sunday Mass at the Cathedral, presided over by Bishop Stephen Lee, and had a short coffee-gathering at the Cathedral gift shop Dream Corner, sharing their insights on the whole journey. Fr Cyril Law, Dean of the Faculty of Religious Studies and Philosophy, then led a tour of the Santa Casa da Misericórdia and the Leal Senado Building, highlighting the Catholic Church’s historical contributions to Macao society.
Following an invitation from the Fu Jen Academia Catholica to Fr. Cyril Law to speak on the Chinese Scriptural Translation of Ma Xiangbo last October, both the Academia and the Fu Jen Theologate generously donated large sums of Chinese Catholic books to USJ; this year in March 2025, Fu Jen’s Faculty of Social Sciences and USJ’s Faculty of Religious Studies and Philosophy signed an agreement on student exchange, in order to promote academic cooperation. Then in June, both sides signed another MoU whereby USJ offers privileges to graduates from Fujen’s Catholic Studies program applying to USJ’s Master in Catholic Studies program. This visit further strengthened the relationship between the two Catholic universities, aligning both universities in shared mission and paving the way for enhanced collaboration in the future.
