Saint Vincent College, Fu Jen Catholic University celebrate founding anniversary and lasting bonds

LATROBE, PA – On April 3 and 4, officials from Saint Vincent College and Archabbey; Fu Jen Catholic University in Taipei, Taiwan; the Catholic Church; and Benedictine monasteries around the United States joined in celebrating the 100th anniversary of Fu Jen’s founding by Benedictine monks. A celebratory dinner and academic conference marked the occasion, with attendees also including members of the Saint Vincent and local communities.

Fu Jen was founded in Peking (now Beijing), China, in 1925 by Aurelius Stehle, O.S.B., the then-Archabbot of Saint Vincent, as China’s first Catholic university. Today, Fu Jen is the largest Catholic university in the Sinophone (Chinese-speaking) world.

As part of the celebration, Rev. Monsignor Većeslav Tumir presented a proclamation from Pope Francis, who recognized the significance of Fu Jen’s founding as an important part of the Catholic Church’s global mission in honor of its anniversary. Other recognized guests included Matthew Zhen Xuebin, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Beijing; Abbot Jonathan Licari, president of the American-Cassinese Congregation; and Dr. Francis Yi-Chen Lan, president of Fu Jen Catholic University.

“Saint Vincent continues to strengthen our bonds with universities and Catholic communities across the world,” said Father Paul Taylor, O.S.B., C’87, S’91, president of Saint Vincent College. “This celebration was an occasion to not only commemorate the 100 years of history we share with Fu Jen Catholic University, but the relationships and friendships we are cultivating for the next century and beyond.”

Throughout the conference, presentations by historians and professors from both Saint Vincent and Fu Jen focused on the founding Benedictines and missionaries who established China’s first Catholic university. A Chinese calligraphy exhibit in the Verostko Center for the Arts and a “Magic of the Peking Opera” performance by the Minnesota Chinese Opera Troupe gave conference attendees and members of the community the opportunity to experience and celebrate Chinese culture.

In his opening remarks, Dr. Lan noted the importance of recognizing the Fu Jen’s founding roots in its current mission to foster the growth of the whole person, promoting academic research and promotion of knowledge for the good of humanity—a mission shared by Saint Vincent College as well as other Catholic and Benedictine colleges and universities across the globe. Today, Fu Jen is the second largest university in Taiwan, educating more than 25,000 students and operating a hospital with more than 600 beds.

Saint Vincent College and Archabbey and Fu Jen Catholic University maintain close ties today, with members of the monastic community working as faculty and administrators at Fu Jen and performing missionary service as part of the Archabbey’s Wimmer Priory in Taipei. The anniversary celebration served as an opportunity for leaders from both institutions to deepen those ties, including having discussions about potential student and faculty exchanges in the near future.

“Saint Vincent College continues to engage the world,” said Father Paul. “Our international students are an integral part of our academic community, and our own students’ international experiences are transformational. We celebrate Fu Jen’s founding not only because of its historic significance, but because it represents the international reach of our community—and the community of Benedictines everywhere.”