When I travel to China for business, I try to attend Mass in whatever country I am in. I have a favorite Church in Shanghai China.  It is called: St. Ignatius Cathedral of Shanghai (also called Xujiahui Cathedra)).

Shanghai Cathedral Stained Glass

Xujiahui Cathedral

A few weeks ago when I was there, I was taking the subway to Mass from the Pudong side of the HuanPu River in Shanghai to the Puxi side of the river where the Church is located.  there are about 15 stops along the route with a transfer in the Peoples Square.  Now remember there are scores of trains, with scores of doors on each train, and scores of stops.  At this one particular stops, i watched as a whole group of CHinese locals pushes and clawed their way into the already full car.  There are hunders of thousands of people in the subway at any given time.  After they all pushed their way in, I noticed one young American guy jump on at the last possible monent. He pushed his way towards the back of the train where I was standing  We were the only two European-American looking people on the train.  I told him that I liked his technique… waiting for the madness to push on… and then just jump in at the end.  He asked me if I was famiiar with the subways system and the city.  I told him that I had been there mnay times and that I felt pretty comfortable to get around. He said that he had not spend much time there and was just seeing where he could go on the subway.  He asekd me where I was going? I told him that I was going to Mass, becuase I was Catholic.  ”Get out of here!”, he exclaimed… He told me he had been online that morning looking for a place to go to Mass… cuz he was Catholic too.  I asked him if he would like to just come along with me. He was really excited to accept the invitation.

As we were moving along, I asked him how a young guy like him had held onto his faith.  Because so many of our young were leaving their faith.  He told me that he was part of a really dynamic youth program as a teen.  I asked him “Was it the Life Teen program by Chance”?  ”Get out of here”! he exclaimed again.   And said yes.  I told him that I had been one of the founding Core members back in 1985 with Fr Dale, Tom Booth ex-cetera… “Get out of here”!  I asked him where he was raised… when he said near  Atlanta… i took a wild stab.  ”Are you from St Anne’s in Murrieta?  ”Get out of here”!  I bet your music minister is Ed Bouldac”…”Get out of here”!  And you know Randy Rouse, the Life Teen President”…. “…”

Well, he informs me that he was at Randy Rouse’s house the previous week after a funeral for Randy’s mother (I think). 

Well we were both blown away by our “chance” meeting on the subway; at time “V”,on date “W”, at stop “X” on train “Y” and door ”Z”.  Do the math.

We went to the Cathedral for Mass, I gave him a tour of the back portion of the Cathedral where the prayers are done after Mass.  We went to a nice lunch on Nanjing Road, and I had to say good-bye because I had to catch a flight to Chengdu for the rest of my work week.

Xujiahui Cathedral - Tom

Xujiahui Cathedral

Xujiahui Cathedral - Alter for JPII