On March 17, John Lee, SJ, Delegate of the Chinese Province in China, gave an informative presentation at Regis College, Toronto on the Society of Jesus in China. Fr. Lee shared his experience and insights into the challenges facing the Chinese Church, emphasizing its great needs and potential growth. He also outlined the growing environmental crisis in China, the vast economic disparities between rural and urban areas, and the unprecedented scale of migration to the cities.

Through local NGOs and other networks, the Chinese church has been able to assist in rural development, educational reform and gender equity, but they continue to need our help. On the political front, though relations between Chinese Catholics, the Chinese government and the Vatican remain far from clear, there is an immense demand in China for knowledge about the West. As Lee pointed out, such interest includes not only business and technology but also religion. Amidst phenomenal economic growth, people in China - particularly youth - are seaching for deeper meaning in their lives.

The Chinese Church is growing, Lee observed, and there are many ways to help this development through greater awareness, financial assistance and prayerful support. Given the low ratio of priests to parishioners in China (compared to Canada), Jesuits there have a wide impact but face growing demands in their ministries. Lee left his audience with a deep appreciation of the work of the Society in China, the promise of still greater things to come, and a desire to help the Chinese Church at this critical time.