MikeLigalig.com

by Theresa Marie Moreau

First published in The Remnant Newspaper, April, May, June 2011

Eritis mihi testes. (You shall be my witnesses.)

– Acts of the Apostles 1:8


Distant gunfire in the dead of night startled the Trappist monks from their slumber. Inside the darkened monastery, they listened as Chinese Communist soldiers viciously attacked a city only a few miles to the north.

Suddenly, the far-off explosions drew nearer. Red soldiers running from the city of Chengtingfu headed south, straight for Our Lady of Joy, the Trappist monastery situated on a 300-acre alluvial island that parted the waters of Hutuo River.

The moon, nearly full that April 4, 1947, highlighted the soldiers in an eerie chiaroscuro of gray, as they bolted toward the North Bridge, the railroad trestle that crossed the north strand of the river. Continuing southward along the railroad tracks that paralleled the monastery’s enclosure wall, the Red guerilla warriors raised their weapons and aimed toward the cloister. Explosions from the barrels sent bullets flying. Dirt puffed up gray dust clouds. Craters dimpled mud brick walls. A single shot entered the shoulder of Father Benedictus-Josephus Labre Chao, but exited through the other, without even nicking a bone. The Communist combatants continued along the tracks, crossed the South Bridge and headed toward the city of Shihchiachuang, several miles to the south. And just as suddenly as they had appeared, they disappeared.

Madness passed. Calmness returned. In the quiet of the early morning, at 3:30 a.m., the assigned monk rang the bell to signal the hour for Matins. Alerted by the clanging, the guerilla soldiers – dressed in civilian clothing – returned to the island, clambered over the enclosure wall and swarmed the monastery. They thought the bell had been a signal to their enemy in the Chinese Civil War.

“Where are the Nationalists?” demanded the soldiers, as they grabbed a few of the closest monks, roughing them up.

“I don’t know,” the monks answered. It was the truth. It was also the safest answer.

Again, the irregular troops left just as suddenly.

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Bishop Rouchouse quickly wrote back with his response: “I welcome you to my diocese. The house, prepared 26 years ago, is still there kept for you, as well as the land, about 200 acres. Everything is ready for your accommodation.”

An advance team of two monks – Father Jean-Marie Struyven and Father Victor Chu – left Our Lady of Joy, on June 24, 1947, to prepare the refugee monastery for the others. First stop: Shanghai, where they lingered for an extended stay that lasted into July. While there, a story in a newspaper caught Father Victor’s eye: “Our Lady of Consolation has been destroyed, and the monks are prisoners.”

Shocked to read about the devastation of their motherhouse and the imprisonment of its Community of monks, Father Victor immediately wrote to Prior Paulinus, with a warning: Evacuate all as soon as possible.

But soon as possible was not soon enough.

Again, distant gunfire in the dead of night startled the Trappist monks from their slumber. Inside the darkened monastery on the alluvial island, they listened as Chinese Communist soldiers again viciously attacked Chengtingfu, only a few miles to the north. The soldiers stormed the city during the night of August 24, 1947, and by morning they had complete control.

After Chengtingfu – the Catholic heart of northern China – the soldiers headed toward the monastery. But even before the troops had stormed onto the wooden railroad ties of the North Bridge, around 40 monks had already fled Our Lady of Joy, on foot, heading for the nearby city of Shihchiachuang. Of the 20 left behind, most sought refuge at the Chengtingfu Diocesan Center, while the eldest preferred to remain at home – to live or die – cloistered under the protection of the mantle Our Lady of Joy. They included Brother Andreas Chang, Father Augustinus Meng (appointed superior of the splinter group), Father Edmond Pallager, Brother Hilarius Shen, blood brothers Brother Stephanus Tian and Father Timotheus Tian, Brother Andreas Wong, Brother Silvester Wong and Father Mattheus Yin.

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Once in Peking, Father Prior Sylvester Healy (Order of St. Benedict) welcomed the Trappist refugees into the order’s provincial house, at 13 Yu Huang Ko. He even welcomed the animals, permitting them to graze and peck freely in the spacious backyard during the day. At night, with the leghorns in their nests and the cows safely stalled in a few tents erected for their comfort, the monks headed for the workmen’s quarters, where they unrolled their straw mats upon the brick floors, shook the dust from their quilts and stretched out for a few hours sleep. At 3:15 a.m., they wakened to sing Matins, the night Canonical Office.

But it was a short stay in Peking. Along with Father Vincentius Shi – their compassionate sub-prior – most of the Community headed for their new monastery in Szechwan province. Without passage for their Holsteins, the beasts remained behind, along with a couple monks, Father Simon Chang and Brother Stanislaus Jen, as their cowherds.

Once aboard train, they left Peking, on September 25, 1947, and headed straight for Tientsin, where they stayed in the Marist Brothers secondary school house for two days, waiting for their ship to accept passengers. School principal, Brother Marcus Chang, who had also been a teacher at Our Lady of Consolation’s Peikou, welcomed them. From Tientsin, the monks climbed onto a stake-bed truck for the 30 mile ride to the port city of Tang-Koo.

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