A Mission Rooted in History
After their expulsion from China in 1953, the missionaries of Bethlehem found in Taiwan a new field of apostolate. The hope of an early return to the mainland soon faded, and a fruitful mission took root on the island. From 1953 onward, thirty-six SMB priests and brothers served first in the diocese of Hualien, then also in Kaohsiung and Taipei.
Their work was never limited to the proclamation of the Gospel. They opened in Taitung a vocational school inspired by the Swiss model of dual training — so successful that the State of Taiwan later adopted the model and extended it across the country. They built a hospital at a time when the population was very poor. Brother Julius Felder, a gifted architectural draftsman, contributed to more than a hundred ecclesial buildings, including seven churches realised between 1968 and 2003, today honoured in an exhibition at the National Museum of Prehistoric Culture of Taitung. The formation of local Church leaders became central to the mission over time. The fruits are visible: twenty-six priestly vocations were born from the work of the missionaries — two of them now bishops.
A Heart Turned to the Indigenous Peoples
From the beginning, the Bethlehem missionaries gave particular attention to the indigenous peoples of the eastern coast and the mountains. They learned their languages, lived among them and documented their traditions, helping to preserve a cultural heritage threatened with extinction. This commitment, sometimes in tension with the state authorities at first, was later widely recognised and appreciated.
Today, about a dozen priests born from these indigenous communities serve in the diocese of Hualien — a sign of the depth and continuity of a missionary work rooted in respect, attentive listening and shared life.
The Regional House Today
The presence of the Bethlehem Mission Society in Taiwan continues. Two SMB confreres serve at Taitung: Father Josef Eugster, district superior, whose pastoral ministry and internationally known school of foot reflexology remain active; and Brother Augustin Büchel, bursar and administrator of the Regional House.
The Regional House has become a place of retreats and days of reflection for parishes and religious groups, from the diocese of Hualien and from across Taiwan. Each morning the Eucharist is celebrated in the house chapel — sisters from the city and a few lay faithful regularly join the small community.
This work unfolds in close partnership with the Sisters of the Holy Cross of Ingenbohl, whose arrival at Taitung on 5 May 1955 is still considered the founding date of the Catholic Vicariate of Taiwan. About twenty sisters of Ingenbohl are engaged today in healthcare, accompaniment of the elderly, education, catechesis and pastoral work, spread across six communities of the region.
A Missionary Relay for the Sinophone World
In 2005, an SMB visit to Qiqihar — the Society's first mission area in northern China — revealed an urgent need for continuing formation among pastoral workers in the Chinese-speaking world. From Taiwan, the Bethlehem Mission Society launched continuing formation courses for Chinese-speaking priests, religious and lay leaders. Taiwan thus became a missionary relay for the entire Sinophone area.
A new chapter is now opening with the Faculty of Theology of Fu Jen Catholic University in Taipei, whose Dean — Father Thomas Cui, a former student of the University of Fribourg — is exploring with the Society the possibility of accompanying SMB candidates and novices through their academic and spiritual journey in the Chinese-speaking context.
