In a country where Catholics represent just 1% of its 23 million inhabitants, the Church in Taiwan has driven a sustained process of evangelization centered on the Eucharist in recent years. Parallel to a geopolitical scenario marked by China’s military pressure on the island, Eucharistic adoration has been gaining presence in parishes and dioceses.
According to National Catholic Register, one of the engines of this growth has been the National Eucharistic Congress of Taiwan, an initiative that began to take shape from 2010 onward and has since been celebrated periodically in different dioceses of the country.
A Simple Invitation as a Starting Point
Mary Wu, one of the founders of the National Eucharistic Congress in Taiwan, recounts that the evangelizing impulse began with a clear realization: many people were open to participating, but they needed to be invited.
In 2010, a Taiwanese delegation traveled to the Vatican to prepare for the International Eucharistic Congress in Dublin (2012). A survey conducted at that time showed that less than 1% of Taiwanese Catholics regularly attended Eucharistic adoration on their own initiative. However, 13% stated that they would attend if their priest asked them to.
Based on that data, Wu collaborated with the Taiwanese episcopal conference to create a section dedicated to promoting adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament. The team organized 24-hour adoration shifts in parishes across the country, with a commitment to maintaining the prayer even if attendance was low.
The National Eucharistic Congresses
The first National Eucharistic Congress of Taiwan was held in 2011 in the Archdiocese of Taipei and brought together more than 4,000 participants. Subsequently, the bishops approved the celebration of the event every two or three years.
Between 2014 and 2024, four additional congresses have been held, each organized by a different diocese. The second congress gathered nearly 10,000 people, while the most recent one, held in October 2024, had the participation of around 14,000 faithful.
At this latest gathering, Pope Francis appointed Cardinal John Tong Hon, emeritus bishop of Hong Kong, as his official envoy. Delegations from Hong Kong and Southeast Asia also attended, as well as priests and religious from mainland China who are pursuing theology studies in Taiwan.
The next National Eucharistic Congress is scheduled for 2027 on Penghu Island, located in the Taiwan Strait. U.S. analysts have pointed to that year as a date when China might be militarily prepared for a potential invasion, adding a context of special sensitivity to the event.
Evangelization and Family Life
Wu has emphasized the importance of involving families in Eucharistic adoration, inviting parents and children to attend together. According to her testimony collected by the U.S. media outlet, several conversions and returns to sacramental practice have occurred following participation in these gatherings.
The experience of the National Eucharistic Congress has been presented by its promoters as a pastoral effort centered on the Eucharist as the core of Christian life, in an environment where Catholicism is a minority and where the Church seeks to strengthen faith and ecclesial communion amid an uncertain political scenario.