About Our Lady of China Pastoral Mission · Washington, District of Columbia
Our Lady of China Pastoral Mission (中華聖母傳教中心) is a Chinese Catholic pastoral mission of the Archdiocese of Washington, canonically established in 1982 to serve the spiritual needs of Chinese Catholics in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Rather than maintaining its own church building, the mission gathers its community at two host parishes each Sunday: a bilingual Mandarin and Cantonese Mass is celebrated at 11:30 AM at St. Mary, Mother of God Church in Chinatown, Washington, D.C., and a Mandarin Mass is celebrated at 3:00 PM at St. Mary's Church in Rockville, Maryland. The mission is administered by Rev. John Ming Ruan and sustains a Chinese school, faith formation (catechism) programs, a family life camp, charitable outreach to religious congregations, and the cultural ministries of its founding Chinese Catholic community.
- Established
- 1982
- Patron
- Our Lady of China
- Rector
- Rev. John Ming Ruan
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Washington
Why belong here
Our Lady of China Pastoral Mission welcomes Chinese Catholics — and anyone drawn to its liturgical and cultural life — into a faithful, bilingual community that has been a spiritual home for immigrants, students, and families in the Washington, D.C. area since 1982. Parishioners celebrate Sunday Mass in both Mandarin and Cantonese, send their children to integrated faith formation and the long-running Kuang-Chi Chinese School (founded 1992), gather annually for a family life camp, and serve their neighbors through a food donation ministry supporting four religious congregations. Whether you are a cradle Catholic from Hong Kong, a Mandarin speaker from Taiwan or mainland China, or simply searching for a Chinese Catholic community in the nation's capital, the mission offers a place to pray, learn, and serve.
Mass times at Our Lady of China Pastoral Mission
Weekly Mass schedule
About Our Lady of China Pastoral Mission
Our Lady of China Pastoral Mission (中華聖母傳教中心) is a Chinese Catholic pastoral mission of the Archdiocese of Washington, canonically established in 1982. It exists to serve the spiritual, sacramental, cultural, and social needs of Chinese Catholics in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area — including Mandarin and Cantonese speakers from Hong Kong, Taiwan, mainland China, and the Chinese diaspora. Because it is a mission rather than a territorial parish, the community gathers for Sunday Mass at two host parishes, with its administrative office in Rockville, Maryland. The mission is administered by Rev. John Ming Ruan.
- Mission type: Catholic pastoral mission (not a territorial parish)
- Diocese: Archdiocese of Washington
- Canonically established: 1982
- Administrator: Rev. John Ming Ruan
History
The mission was founded in 1982 by Father Louis Tou, who had been incardinated as a priest of the Archdiocese of Washington in 1981 and appointed the prior year as chaplain to the archdiocese's Chinese Catholic mission. Father Tou served as the mission's first pastor from 1982 to 1991 and continued as a senior priest until his retirement in 1997. He is credited with establishing both the Mandarin Mass at St. Mary's Church in Rockville and the Cantonese Mass at St. Mary, Mother of God Church in Washington, D.C., which remain the spiritual backbone of the community. Father Tou died in 2024 and was remembered in the Catholic Standard as a founding pastor, mentor, and faithful shepherd to Chinese Catholic immigrants. In 1992, the mission's Council founded Kuang-Chi Chinese School to preserve Chinese language and culture alongside Catholic faith formation.
- Founded: 1982
- Founding pastor: Rev. Louis Tou (1982–1997)
- Canonically established under the Archdiocese of Washington
- Kuang-Chi Chinese School launched: 1992
Kuang-Chi Chinese School (光啟中文學校)
Kuang-Chi Chinese School was founded in March 1992 under the leadership of the Council of Our Lady of China Pastoral Mission. It officially opened in September 1992 and today operates out of St. Mary's School in Rockville, Maryland, holding Saturday classes from September through May. The school is named in part in honor of Xu Kuang-Chi, a historical Catholic figure in China. It promotes Chinese education, carries forward Chinese culture, provides a place for the next generation to learn Chinese, and integrates Chinese language education with Catholic catechesis — a distinctive feature of the school. Kuang-Chi currently offers classes from preschool (age 3) through 10th grade, including both traditional and simplified Chinese tracks, bilingual conversation classes, and adult conversation classes for American adults.
- Founded: March 1992; opened September 1992
- Location: St. Mary's School, 600 Veirs Mill Road, Rockville, MD 20852
- Schedule: Saturday classes, September–May, 1:00–2:45 PM (language), 2:55–3:45 PM (culture)
- Programs: preschool through 10th grade; traditional Chinese, simplified Chinese, bilingual conversation, adult conversation, catechism classes for children and adults
- Has participated in DC's Chinatown Double Ten Parade, Montgomery County Memorial Day Parade, Cherry Blossom Festival Parade, and Independence Day Parade
Service Ministry / Food Donation Group (慈善事工)
The mission's Service Ministry operates a Food Donation Group that raises funds from parishioners to provide fresh produce, meat, and cooked food — quarterly or upon request — to four religious congregations and charity groups in the Washington area. All donations are tax-deductible and can be made by cash or check made payable to 'Our Lady of China Pastoral Mission' with 'food donation' in the memo.
- Beneficiaries: Institute of the Incarnate Word (IVE) 道成肉身會
- Beneficiaries: Servants of the Lord and the Virgin of Matará (SSVM) 主僕女修會
- Beneficiaries: Missionaries of Charity (MC) 仁愛傳教修女會
- Beneficiaries: Little Sisters of the Poor (LSOP) 貧窮小姊妹會
- Donation contacts: Lucy Lee (Chinatown), Jenny Cheng (Rockville)
Faith Formation and Catechesis
Catechesis for children and adults is a core ministry of the mission. Catechism classes are integrated with the Saturday Kuang-Chi Chinese School program and are also offered before Sunday Mass at St. Mary, Mother of God Church. Carolyn Ng, a coordinator for catechesis and faith formation at Our Lady of China, has been a long-standing parish leader in this work. Spiritual talks and lectures are offered on an irregular basis throughout the year.
- Catechism classes for children (integrated with Kuang-Chi)
- Catechism classes for adults
- Spiritual lectures (irregular schedule)
- Catechesis coordinator: Carolyn Ng
Family Life Camp (家庭生活營)
Our Lady of China Pastoral Mission holds an annual Family Life Camp for parishioners and their families. The 2024 camp was held on June 29–30 at Mount St. Mary's University in Emmitsburg, Maryland. Father Joseph Bai has led the family life camp, with speeches and activities for the youth group and English group led by Father Thomas Au. Online registration is offered through the mission's website.
- Annual retreat for families
- 2024 camp: June 29–30 at Mount St. Mary's University, Emmitsburg, MD
- Led by Fr. Joseph Bai (2024)
- Youth & English group activities led by Fr. Thomas Au (2024)
Community and Fellowship
Beyond Sunday Mass, the mission fosters community through its youth group, English group, and post-Mass fellowship gatherings. At St. Mary, Mother of God Church, a fellowship luncheon is held in the parish center on the first and third Sundays of the month. The English-speaking group and youth group extend the mission's reach to younger and English-preferring members of the Chinese Catholic community and beyond.
- Fellowship luncheon: 1st and 3rd Sundays at St. Mary, Mother of God parish center
- Youth Group
- English Group
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Louis Tou1982–1997
Founding pastor of the mission. Served as pastor 1982–1991, then senior priest until retirement in 1997. Helped establish weekly Mandarin Mass at St. Mary's in Rockville and Cantonese Mass at St. Mary, Mother of God in Chinatown. Died in 2024.