hirteen years ago, Xaverian Father Joseph Matteucig left the US for Taiwan and China on a mission, determined to keep a large, decades-old promise – several long-standing promises, really.

“Our community, the Xaverian Missionaries, was founded to serve in China,” told Fr. Matteucig, who left for East Asia in 1993 with other Xaverian priests to mission to the Taiwanese and Chinese people. “From the time we were founded in 1895 until 1948, China was our only mission. After the missionaries were expelled, they went on to carry the Gospel of Jesus to other countries and now we are present and serving in 20 countries around the world.  Recently, due to a more open environment, we have connected once again with our first love: China.”

In a sense, Father Joseph was not only fulfilling the dreams of his religious order’s founder Blessed Guido Maria Conforti. He also was also fulfilling, so to speak, the dream of St. Francis Xavier (Patron Saint of the Xaverian Missionaries), who died in 1552 while trying to reach the Chinese mainland.

While in East Asia, Fr. Joe had been touching the hearts and minds of young and old in the Taipei Archdiocese, which is home to a growing number of Catholics in what is a largely Buddhist nation. As the Xaverians’ superior there for seven years, he had, through visits and contacts, many opportunities to come to know and appreciate the faith and the commitment of Chinese Catholics in China Mainland.

The Xaverians are people who are willing to serve. It’s a catholic, universal vision. It’s also a family type community – human, caring and supportive relationships. It’s also a style of ministry in collaboration with others to carry on the mission of the Church and of God

Last month, Father Joe related his mission experiences to The Beacon during a stop over at the Xaverian Provincial House before heading off to his current assignment working in vocation ministry and missionary education at the Xaverians’ house in Holliston, Mass. 

At Masses on Oct. 21-22 weekend, Catholics around the world will recognize the Christ-filled work of missionaries like Father Matteucig, who work hard to minister to the poorest of poor around the globe and bring the Gospel message to the stranger. Catholics will recommit themselves to the Church’s missionary activity through prayer and sacrifices.

“Being missionaries means stooping down to the needs of all, like the Good Samaritan, especially those of the poorest and most destitute people, because those who love with Christ’s heart do not seek their own interests but the glory of the Father and the good of their neighbor alone,” said Pope Benedict XVI in an address in preparation for World Mission Sunday.

Seeing China up close

On mainland China, Father Joe saw the good works of his fellow Xaverians, who are involved with other in running a center for disabled children. They preach the Gospel by the example of their love, compassion and service to others. The center is an important ministry in China, which has about 60 million disabled people.

“In the past, disabled people were looked down and often times considered a burden” said Father Joe who is fluent in Mandarin and who took culture studies in East Asia. “We work so that all may accept people with disabilities as persons endowed with the same dignity as any other human being.  We want to make their lives better and serve them,” he said.
“We are in China to serve, to get to know China and help us understand a world so different from ours,” Fr. Joe remarked.

 A growing parish Taipei style

In Taiwan, an island nation of 23 million people, Father Matteucig served the Taipei Archdiocese, one of seven dioceses on the Island. He was assigned to work with Fr Edi, the pastor of St. Francis Xavier Parish, about 20 minutes from downtown. Through the rite of Christian Initiation of adults, the parish grew from 25 members when the Xaverians took over some 12 years ago to 150 today.

Fr. Joe in collaboration with others, coordinated the work of the Taipei Archdiocesan Youth office and also helped the Cardinal of Kaohsiung, Card. Shan, to implement a new pro-life campaign, which tried to overcome the Culture of Death with the Culture of Life. In other words, to overcome selfishness, abortion, divorce, attempted suidices, drug use, school dropout through listening, caring, affirmation, compassion, help, mutual support, etc.

Fr. Joe also ran retreats and Youth Formation camps that attracted more than 1,000 high school students.  He said: "About 95% of Catholic school students in the archdiocese are not Catholic. Yet they are attracted by the programs we run, we focus on values such as peace, friendship, compassion, solidarity, helping others and we challenge them to act and live them out in the family, in the school, with their friends."

At the national level, Father Matteucig was asked to help lead a group of high school teachers – public, Catholic and private – in a year and a half long government sponsored program on how to teach life education and values. “The government worried that they were producing geniuses who have no heart,” he said. “Sometimes, due to peer and sociatal pressure, young people find themselves psychologically weak, unable to deal with their problems.  The program hopes to help students appreciate life.”

“I always have been attracted to ‘ the other’ – to the stranger. As a young person, I would go through encyclopedias and see what people do and how they live in Africa and China. I consider this curiosity the first seed of my missionary vocation. The Xaverians are people who are willing to serve. In whatever ministry they are involved, Xaverians strive to present a catholic, universal vision. A family style of community: rich in human, caring and supportive relationships.  A style of ministry which strives to carry on the mission of the church in collaboration with all people of Good Will,” he said.

Adapted from an interview by Michael Wojcik
The Beacon, weekly paper of the Diocese of Paterson