Catholic funeral service-In the Ching Shui Catholic Church

• Main Authors: TAU,I-WEI, 陶憶威
• Other Authors: HUANG,YUN-SHI
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2018
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/g523pt

碩士 === 玄奘大學 === 宗教與文化學系碩士在職專班 === 106 === Abstract In my work as a funeral director I have found that many Catholic Church funeral practices have similarities to Taiwanese customs. This study uses historical material and interviews to investigate and understand Catholic funeral services in Taiwan as they adapt to Taiwan customs and culture. Spanish Catholic missionaries first came to northern Taiwan in 1626. In 1642，after the Dutch occupation，they were arrested and deported to Indonesia. In 1859，over 158 years ago，three Catholic Spanish Dominican missionaries from Amoy on mainland China came to Kaohsiung to establish the Catholic Church. In 1952 Father Joseph McDonald of the Maryknoll Society came to Ching Shui to establish a parish church. The Ching Shui church was built in 1960（the 49th year of the Republic of China）. Why would they choose to go to remote villages to preach and get along with the people there? Where do they get the strength to go to a foreign country and help the people there? These priests simply enter into a strange country，learn different languages（Taiwanese，Hakka，Mandarin or Taiwan indigenous），because of God's call，and they learn from the traditional culture of the country. Human relations are essential especially as it affects traditional beliefs and local customs. The Church accompanies people in important aspects of life such as birth，old age，sickness and death. Church people care when others are ill or in danger of death. They will help with the funeral mass arrangements and ceremonies. Chinese custom uses ancestral tablets and has Tomb Sweeping Day （清明節） in April . The Catholic Church has All Souls Day in November to pray for the dead and allows the offering of incense，flowers and fruit which accords with Chinese custom. Keywords：Catholicism、Ching Shui、 Maryknoll、 Funeral Mass