Angels of Love:

A Timeline of Catholicism in Taiwan

In 1979 this magazine published its first article about Catholicism in Taiwan, recounting how the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (CICM) provided funding to found the Happy Children’s Center. The most recent article, published in 2025, was about cultural exchanges between Taiwan and the Vatican as part of Taiwan’s overall diplomatic policy. Let’s take a look at the major events in the history of Catholicism in Taiwan, as recorded in Taiwan Panorama.

“Protecting Immigrant Rights—Father Peter Nguyen Van Hung” (October 2019) Having experienced the pain of being a refugee, Fr. Peter Nguyen Van Hung from Vietnam helps foreign migrant workers and long-term immigrants and fights for their rights, providing physical and spiritual shelter.

“Father Josef’s New Theory of Reflexology” (December 2002) Fr. Josef Eugster, a Swiss national, has been a missionary in Taiwan for over 50 years, and his name has become virtually synonymous with foot reflexology.

“A Priest of Saint Bernard in the Mountains of Taiwan— Father Gabriel Délèze” (October 2019) He replaced the dilapidated main hall of the former Shinto shrine with a shrine to the Virgin Mary, which sits next to the vine-covered Noah’s-Ark-shaped nave of Xincheng Catholic Church, in a meeting of Eastern and Western cultures.

“Fifty Years of Dance: Father Michelini” (March 2017) Italian priest Gian Carlo Michelini came to Taiwan in 1964. In 1974, he took the Lan Yang Dancers, which he founded, on an international tour, becoming the first arts group in the world to perform for the Pope. He was also a major force behind the Yilan International Children’s Folklore and Folkgame Festival.

“The Mother of Taiwan’s Textiles” (June 2020) Sister Maryta Laumann came to Taiwan as a missionary from Germany at the age of 28. She has dedicated over half a century to academia, founding Fu Jen Catholic University’s Department of Textiles and Clothing, the first of its kind among Taiwanese universities.

“A Beacon of Light for Losheng Sanatorium” (July 2021) Fr. Aloisius Gutheinz SJ devoted himself to caring for patients with leprosy, and famously said, “When I’m in Taiwan, it’s just like being at home.”

“Fifty Years of Caring for Hualien’s Disadvantaged —Father Yves Moal” (December 2017) He takes in homeless people and people with disabilities in Yuli Township, Hualien County, and teaches them to do recycling to support themselves, because he believes that everyone is a treasure of God, and no one should be abandoned.

“Healing Young and Old Through Art: Father Hugo Peter” (December 2017) In Penghu, he led people with disabilities in painting and handicraft activities, established Taiwan’s first dedicated disabled people’s fitness center, and devoted himself to promoting their welfare.

“The Angel East of the River: Father Maurice Poinsot” (December 2017) Deeply involved in tribal life, he compiled Indigenous language dictionaries, established savings cooperatives for residents, and improved their cultural, economic, and educational status, working with Indigenous communities for over 60 years. (He passed away in 2018.)

“Spreading Hope in Houbi: Father Verny” (March 2017) In Tainan City’s remote Houbi District, where outward migration is an/a problem, he preaches, cares for children, and energetically pursues viable solutions, embracing this land with his warmth.

“‘Grandpa’ to the Atayal of Jianshi: Father Yves Nalet” (October 2019) Amid the beautiful mountains of Jianshi Township in Hsinchu County, he teaches English, makes desserts, and lovingly accompanies the children and elders of the tribe.

New Book Forum for Angels of Love: Catholicism in Taiwan (June 2022) Former Vice President Chen Chien-jen recalled that in 2020, Fr. Giuseppe Didone, an Italian priest who founded the St. Camillus Center for Intellectual Disability and the hospice ward at St. Mary’s Hospital Luodong, raised funds for his homeland of Italy, which was suffering during the Covid-19 pandemic. Since so many people in Taiwan had received care at St. Mary’s, donations flooded in, raising NT$150 million in less than a week.

Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Wanjin Located in Manzhou Township, Pingtung County, this basilica is the oldest Catholic church in Taiwan (built 1870). In the style of a Spanish fortress, it features pure white walls and a square layout with a west-facing double-tower facade, a central nave, and an east-facing semicircular apse. The basilica has become a spiritual home for Catholics throughout Taiwan, and a pilgrimage site that must be visited in one’s lifetime. “Wanjin’s Madonna Procession—An Integrated Religious-Cultural Event” (May 2019)

Xincheng Catholic Church Located in Xincheng Township, Hualien County, the site has elements of a Shinto shrine and a Catholic Church, integrating two different religious beliefs and architectural traditions, with a simple and refined main church building in the shape of Noah’s Ark. “Storehouse of Memories—Xincheng Township, Hualien” (April 2025)

Cathedral of Our Lady of China in Tainan Located in Tainan City, this cathedral’s exterior and the sanctuary’s altar are decorated in classical Chinese style, including red pillars and green tiles, a palace-like red gate, green window tiles and roof, and traditional Chinese elements such as flying eaves and a caisson ceiling. “400 Years of Building History—A Tour of Tainan Architecture” (July 2024)

Church of the Holy Cross, Jingliao Located in Tainan’s Houbi District, this church is the work of German architect Gottfried Böhm, winner of the Pritzker Architecture Prize. Composed of geometric shapes, it has a huge pyramidal spire over part of the nave, with two adjacent conical spires covered with aluminum plates that sparkle in the sunlight. “Variety Pages,” February 2024 (Chinese only; for more details in English, see “Spreading Hope in Houbi: Father Verny,” March 2017)

Over 40 churches including the Church of St. Nicolaus at Xiaoma, Changguang Catholic Church, Taiyuan Catholic Church, and Baosang Catholic Church. Brother Julius Felder used a strong modernist vocabulary to inject new ideas into Taiwan’s church architecture, designing churches and chapels in over 40 locations that now trace a pilgrimage route through southeastern Taiwan. “From ‘Them’ to ‘Us’: The Bethlehem Mission Society” (March 2022)