The Daughters of St. Paul of Taipei, with the collaboration of their Pauline Cooperators, who are celebrating their Association’s Centenary of birth, recently held a meeting to present the figure of Dr. Wu Ching Hsiung and his conversion to Catholicism. His autobiography, Beyond East and West, is considered to be a masterpiece of Chinese literature and Christian spirituality, so much so that it has been compared to the Confessions of St. Augustine. The meeting, which took place at the Disciples of the Lord Cultural Center in Taipei, was attended not only by the general public but also by representatives from the political, legislative and cultural fields.
John Wu Ching Hsiung (1899-1986) was a jurist, poet, philosopher, teacher, writer and Chinese diplomat who converted to Catholicism after reading The Story of a Soul by St. Therese of the Child Jesus. He was one of the most brilliant jurists of modern China and the first Catholic to be appointed Ambassador of the Republic of China to the Holy See (1947-1949).
He translated the Psalms and the New Testament into classical Chinese and also wrote and translated numerous books and articles on a wide variety of subjects, including religion, philosophy and law.
