Keep holy the Lord’s Day. This afternoon, the whole XCE community took chartered buses to Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral.

Some boys took the bus ride as a chance to look around the city. Many were amazed at how the highway system of Guangzhou was so sophisticated. At certain points, there are two or three highways atop each other. Whoa! We’re so high up above the streets below!

The cathedral is right in the middle of a very busy commercial district. Many people were doing their Sunday shopping in the streets. A clearing for bikes and small cars opens up to a plaza where one gets a better view of the cathedral.

We immediately noticed that most of the people inside the cathedral were Africans. A fellow seated beside us said that most of them were in Guangzhou for studies. Half an hour later, the cathedral was jam-packed with people. In fact, as the mass began, there were no more seats available and many more people crowded in the aisles for room to stand.

Some of the boys immediately noticed the stained glass windows depicting Matteo Ricci and Xu Guangqi. The original image was popular in Europe and China during the 17th and 18th centuries, commonly found in books, etchings, paintings and stone carvings. These two great men  are considered to be among the first to bridge the East and the West through the depth of their collaboration.

The mass was truly a catholic—that is, universal—event. The mass was presided by a local Chinese priest. The choir consisted of Filipinos, Americans, Chinese, among others. The choirmaster, the pianist and the commentator were all Filipinos. Some of the songs sung were written by either Filipino or American Jesuits. The homily was delivered by an American woman, presumably a nun who didn’t wear a habit. There were Germans, Chinese, Australians and Indians in the mass congregation, apart from the many Africans there. And spread across the sea of people were our XCE boys, all clad in their Xavier jackets. It was quite an experience! Some of our boys felt moved as they sang with and heard the Alleluia and the Our Father. The voice of the whole Church reverberated through the cathedral with the power of a thousand voices all singing praise to God.

[Text by TC Ang / Pictures by TC Ang and Chuchay Lugapo]