Fr Joseph Li and Columban Fr Kevin O'Neill. - Photo: Fr Kevin O'Neill SSC
Columban Fr Dan Troy and I took the one-hour high-speed train from Wuhan, where we live, to the rural city of Xiantao to join the Silver Jubilee celebration of Fr Joseph Li, the administrator of the Hanyang diocese. It was a joyous and significant occasion for Fr Joseph, as he had not been able to hold such a celebration at the time of his ordination. He was ordained in the middle of the night in a small room, with only the bishop and a couple of altar servers in attendance.
At Fr Joseph’s Silver Jubilee, hundreds of parishioners, including his parents and two brothers and their families, gathered to celebrate Mass and enjoy a delicious traditional Chinese banquet.
I first met Fr Joseph in Ireland in 2002. From early 2001 to late 2006, I lived and worked in Ireland as a member of the Columban General Council. Fr Joseph received a Columban scholarship to pursue a master’s degree in Pastoral Theology. During his four years in Ireland, I often met with him and the other Chinese priests and sisters who were also studying there.
Dedicated to his studies, Fr Joseph also helped establish the first Chinese Catholic community in Dublin. To this day, the community endures and has grown considerably since those early years.
When I was assigned to China in 2009, I was warmly welcomed by Fr Joseph. Over the years, he has been very hospitable to Columbans working in China and very generous in welcoming us and any visitors, whether from within China or abroad, to the diocese of Hanyang.
During a recent visit to the Columban apartment in Wuhan, I spoke with Fr Joseph about the current situation in his diocese and the Church in China.
Fr Joseph shared, “The Government has redefined the geographical boundaries of our diocese. Some of the diocese’s counties now, in the eyes of the Government, belong to neighbouring dioceses.
Yet no one from these neighbouring dioceses is going to these counties to minister to the people there. The priests and sisters in the Hanyang diocese would like to continue going to these areas. Unfortunately, the Government won’t permit us to provide pastoral care there anymore.”
We have revived the Church in those areas of the diocese that still belong to us. The Government has given us land in compensation for former church buildings that have either been destroyed or turned into school buildings. In the past ten years, five new churches and three chapels have been built. The sisters and priests work tirelessly in building up vibrant parish communities.”
Two of the new churches also have newly built pastoral centres on their grounds. One of the pastoral centres has shared accommodation for up to 300 people, and the other for up to 100 people.”
Furthermore, seven young priests have been ordained for the diocese. Two of the priests are local, and five are from northern China. We have one seminarian in formation.”
Fr Joseph went on to discuss some of the challenges facing his diocese and the Church in China at the moment. He said, “Young people under the age of 18 are not permitted to enter the church building.
Although this is not written in law, it has been the practice of local Governments for the past couple of years. We try to find different ways for young people to participate in the life of the church without them entering the church building.”
"Parents now need to be the primary educators of faith for their children. In the past, most catechesis was carried out by priests, sisters and some trained lay people. We are now training parents to take up this important work. Adjusting to the current restrictions is part of the story of the Church in China as it lives with limitations. Until last year, the sisters were able to work at a centre for people with leprosy.”
Despite the challenges facing the Church in China, Fr Joseph is hopeful about the future. He shared, “The Church in China will continue to find its way forward in unpredictable times just as it has in the past. I hope that in a few years there will be greater openness in China, with a greater reception for the church and all religions. Therefore, I hope the younger generation of Columbans will be prepared and ready to come to China and help serve the Church.”
Columban Fr Kevin O'Neill lives and works in China
Related links
- Read more from The Far East - July 2026
