A Taiwan-based online prayer group is making some headway in spreading the good news to international Chinese-speakers using St Therese of Lisieux’s “little way” as its model for evangelisation. Source: UCA News.
The idea was sparked by Jesuit Father Augustine Tsang’s doctoral thesis. He teaches at the Fu Jen Faculty of Theology of St Robert Bellarmine in Taipei.
Fr Tsang, 71, said some friends read his thesis and asked if they could start the group in 2020 with him as chaplain. He said the “Friends in Evangelisation of St Therese of Lisieux” group has more than 700 laypeople involved..
Fr Tsang said that this movement spawned a three-pronged evangelisation effort.
The group sessions are held in Mandarin with participants mainly from Taiwan and Malaysia, some from the Philippines, the US, Canada and a tiny number from mainland China.
“I think evangelisation has to be taken up by the laypeople,” he said. “Because in daily life they encounter all those neighbours, co-workers and people like that. First of all they make friends with them, and they try to bring Jesus to them … perhaps, in a little way.”
The online group follows the example of St Therese, who showed her love for Jesus in the smallest of ways, such as living a life centred on prayer, offering all sufferings (both small and tremendous) to God and sharing her faith with others, especially those who suffered.
Fr Tsang said they bring Jesus to their new friends in “little ways” including giving them small religious items: medals, rosaries and prayer cards, “if feasible”.
They invite them, especially the non-Catholics, or fallen-away Catholics, to come and pray or study the faith online.
“A lot of these people … are depressed. They have difficulties in family life and they need God. They need God. That’s why we bring Jesus to them,” Fr Tsang said.
Two years ago, Fr Tsang also started to give religion lessons online. From these lessons, a total of 54 people have been baptised.
FULL STORY
Saint’s ‘little way’ is model of evangelisation for Taiwan lay group (UCA News)
