Bill Hao

The Divine Mercy of Christ In the 1930’s, a Polish nun named Maria Faustina Kowalska wrote a diary which communicated to the world the great message of God’s mercy and revealed the way of Christian perfection based on trust in God and on an attitude of mercy toward one’s neighbors. On April 30, 2000, the day when Sr. Faustina was canonized a saint, Pope John Paul II proclaimed the 2nd Sunday of Easter as Divine Mercy Sunday. God’s mercy has…

The month of May is dedicated to Mary. The traditional practice of crowning an image of Mary is done on the first of May; however, the Holy Name of Jesus Chinese Catholic Mission will celebrate the May Crowning on Sunday, May 4, 2024 at the 10:30 am Mass.    Why is May dedicated to Mary? It is probably because several feast days which honor the Blessed Virgin Mary occur in May; for example: Our Lady of China (the Saturday before…

40 Days of Lent March 5, 2025 is Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of the Lenten Season. The practice of imposing ashes on the foreheads of the faithful is normally done during Ash Wednesday, reminding us that it is a special time for repentance. According to the Gospels, Jesus Christ spent 40 days fasting in the desert, where he endured temptation by Satan; accordingly, the Lenten Season was first observed as a period of fasting for 40 days in…

In addition to being the foster-father of Jesus and the spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph was a carpenter. Through his work of manual labor, he provided for the Holy Family and had a role in the divine plan of salvation. St. Joseph is mentioned in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, and briefly in the Gospel of John. Probably by the time Jesus began His public life, St. Joseph had already died, although we don’t know exactly…

MAR 5, 2025     ASH WEDNESDAY MASS & STATIONS OF THE CROSS   12:00PM CHINESE MAR 7, 2025     FRIDAY AFTER ASH WEDNESDAY MASS & STATIONS OF THE CROSS   12:00PM ENGLISH MAR 9, 2025     FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT MASS 10:30AM CHINESE, 2:00PM ENGLISH   MAR 12, 2025   WEDNESDAY OF THE 1ST WEEK OF LENT MASS & STATIONS OF THE CROSS   12:00PM CHINESE MAR 14, 2025   FRIDAY OF THE FIRST WEEK OF LENT MASS & STATIONS OF THE CROSS   12:00PM ENGLISH MAR 16,…

During this past Holy Week, the Catholic Church celebrated the sacred liturgies of the Triduum – Holy Thursday, Good Friday and the Easter Vigil. The following reflections on the Last Supper, the Passion and Death of our Lord and His Resurrection give us a deeper understanding of these mysteries according to what the Church teaches. May the Light of Christ dispel the darkness in the world!

Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are obligatory days of fasting and abstinence for Catholics. In addition, Fridays during Lent are obligatory days of abstinence. For members of the Catholic Church, the norms on fasting are obligatory from age 18 until age 59. When fasting, a person is permitted to eat one full meal, as well as two smaller meals that together are not equal to a full meal. The norms concerning abstinence from meat are binding upon members of the…

Independence Day is a federal holiday in the United States which commemorates the declaration of independence by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which officially declared the thirteen American colonies’ independence from British rule. This day marks the birth of the United States as a sovereign nation and the beginning of its journey towards freedom and self-governance. On the 4th of July, people in the United States hold many celebrations in various places, such as fireworks, parades, barbecues, picnics,…

July 9th is the feast day of the Holy Martyrs of China. 25 years ago, on October 1st, 2000, Pope John Paul II canonized 120 martyrs of China. Of the 120 Saints, 87 are Chinese and 33 are foreign missionaries. Among them are 6 bishops, 23 priests, 8 monks (one of whom is a novice), 7 nuns and 76 lay people (two of whom were catechumens). According to historical records, the Catholic faith was officially introduced to China during the…