ABOUT THIS PROGRAM

China Experience Program is a Summer program to the Young Confreres and Students of the Congregation of the Mission. The confreres of the Province of China invite you to participate in our seventh Vincentian China Experience. It’s a chance to get to know the people of Taiwan and China and listen to the call of the China Mission, a chance to become acquainted with the Chinese and missionary confreres (now from eight different provinces) and taste the language and the culture, and, of course, the food (!).

We invite you to join us for 10 days on Taiwan and 10 days in Mainland China. Come and experience Taiwan and China in the company of confreres whose love and joy among the Chinese will introduce you to the special gifts and spirit of the people.

Do you need to make a commitment to the China Province, if you come? No, you don’t. It’s not required. Our goal is to create an experience in which confreres whom the Lord is calling — who feel an attraction to the China Mission or have a special interest in it — might test their attraction or consider ways of sharing in the mission. Whatever you decide in the future, you can be an apostle for the China mission by sharing your experience with confreres and friends in your home province. If you come, you will not only enter into this experience, but you will help all of us here see and experience it with new eyes and ears – yours.
The works of the China Mission are diverse and challenging. We live among the people of Taiwan and the Aboriginal peoples of the East Coast and we are in regular and frequent contact with Catholics and others in China. Vincentian Youth Groups have sprung up in our parishes and St. Anne’s Home is known widely for its loving care of children with mental disabilities. Throughout the island the Filipino overseas workers have found a home in our parishes. We teach in St. Vincent’s High School, which was founded years ago by our Chinese confreres. We go freely to China, but are not allowed to engage in priestly and missionary activity to local people. We’ve found teaching French to university students and involved in social service to be a great grace. It’s the way of relationship and presence.

Do you need to speak Chinese? No, but you do, however, need to have some English. It doesn’t need to be fluent, but the program will be conducted in English. Our confreres speak many languages and we can help each other. But some English is required. The program is a balance of input, experience, discussion, sharing, travel, reflection, prayer, community — and even a chance to learn some Chinese characters!
Please apply through your provincial. Financially, we ask your province to take care of the cost of transportation to and from Taiwan. The China Province will be responsible for the costs of the entire program including travel to China.

What will the experience involve?
Getting acclimatized to life on Taiwan
Hands on participation in the works of the confreres and Daughters of Charity
Sharing experience, history and hopes
Learning the stories of the confreres
Sharing one’s own experience of vocation, church, ministry
Exchanging hopes and dreams
Growing as a community of faith and prayer through
Daily Prayer and daily Eucharist
Celebrations in the parishes
Getting to know the Chinese culture and people through personal contact
Evenings with young people and with families
Getting in touch with Taoist, Confucian, Buddhist religions
Weekly speakers on culture, society, evangelization
A dynamic process of assimilation and dialogue
Weekly processing of the personal dimensions of the experience:
joys, disappointments, surprises, confusions, blessings
Weekly theological reflection on evangelization
Visits to the apostolates of the Vincentians and Daughters in Taipei, I-lan, Sze-Hu, Tainan, Kangshan, Kaohsiung, Dawu, Liukui and Taitung
Some tourist excursions and free time (night market, etc.)
A trip to the Mainland for 10 days.
Final evaluation of the experience, including a word to the CMs of the Province