On Sunday, September 21, Sister Cecilia Chen, aci celebrated her 60th Jubilee at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul. At the invitation of Archbishop Nelson Pérez, Sister Cecilia attended the Archdiocesan celebration recognizing all Jubilarians for the extraordinary gift of their vocation.
My Life & Ministries: Sr. Cecilia Chen
In January 1964, I left Taiwan and traveled to Rome, Italy to begin my discernment with Handmaids. After a year in Curia, I formally entered and was sent to the Novitiate in Loyola, Spain. In those days there were about two hundred Sisters living in the house of Loyola! After my Novitiate, I was sent to Juniorate in London, U.K , and then to Dublin, Ireland. Upon finished my Juniorate I started working and ministered in our schools in Dublin, Ireland and Kent, England, and event to our International School in Tokyo, Japan.
In February 1986, I was assigned to the United States. The following month after my arrival, in March 1986 I started to work at Catholic Social Services in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, at Department of “Migration and Refugees Resettlement”. I served as an Immigration Counselor, helping people with their Immigration issues. I prepared their cases and submitted them to the Immigration Office and Immigration Courts. Their cases ranged from “Political Asylum application;” “Petition of Family Reunification”; and “Labor Certification” etc. Political Asylum applicants claiming that they were suffering persecutions in their home countries, due to either their political opinion, or nationality, or race, or religious belief, or particular social groups etc. The people I represented were from a wide variety of ethnic groups: Asians, Eastern Europeans, Russian,
Africans, and Central Americans.
During my 16 years working at Catholic Social Services in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, I helped several Chinese Immigrants to write a petition to the most Reverend Archbishop Anthony Bevilacqua to have Eucharist Celebrated in Chinese language at Holy Redeemer Chinese Catholic Church. Through some effort, eventually we obtained the Permission; and a Chinese Priest was assigned to it. Now there are three Masses are celebrated on Sundays: Cantonese, English, and Mandarin. As such, the attendance of masses in the Church is continuing to grow.
In Late 2002, I was reassigned to be in our community in Miami, Florida. In Miami, I was hired by “Catholic Legal Services” in the Archdiocese of Miami, doing the same type of Immigration Services as I used to do in Philadelphia. The difference is that the population that I served in Miami were Hispanics (Central and South American, Haitian, and Caribbean etc.) I represented them before the Immigration Court. I worked for Catholic Legal Services for 21 years until our Religious Community in Miami had to close; and so, I retired from my post.
Even today, within my capacity, I am still helping people who need Immigration assistance. It makes me happy to see people whom I helped accomplished and fulfilled their American dreams. Their happiness and success in life are what make me happy.
