A long-time parishioner at Saint Simon in Los Altos, Stan’s experience emigrating from Asia to California as a young adult in 1983 provides a glimpse into the widely shared experience of local Catholics navigating their faith and life on either side of the Pacific Ocean.

From Hong Kong to California

Stan was baptized and confirmed in 8th grade, a common practice in Hong Kong high schools that span from grade 7 to 13.  He reminisces, “I participated in a lot of Catholic organizations and activities. Subsequently, I had a rich religious life with a lot of lifelong Catholic friends during my formative years.” Catholic Churches in Asia, in Stan’s experience, are often packed with believers.  “When I visit Hong Kong, as I do now and then, when I go to Sunday Mass, attendance is much higher than here.”

Pew Research confirms that, although Hong Kong has a smaller percentage of Catholics, approximately 395,000 local Catholics and another 100,000 expatriate Catholics in Hong Kong are more likely to attend Mass regularly compared to the general population in the United States. Stan sees enormous potential for evangelization within the Catholic Church in Silicon Valley, a view already shared by diocesan missions, such as the San José Chinese Catholic Mission, the Holy Korean Martyrs Catholic Parish, and Our Lady of La Vang Parish, among others. Networks that cater to newly arrived Asians are ones that he would have benefited from as a college student.

“Having a strong foundation before my college years was very important. It was a huge transition in the first couple of years, and I experienced loneliness and helplessness. I was not able to find a spiritual support group anywhere close to what I had in Hong Kong.” What bolstered him was participating in the choir at the Newman Hall at Holy Spirit Parish, a spiritual home to students at UC Berkeley.

Room for More Faith Support in Silicon Valley

Once he graduated with a degree in engineering, it was easy to find work in the booming semiconductor industry of Silicon Valley during the 1980s. Today, Catholics emigrating from Asia may encounter more cyclical or unstable employment opportunities. As such, Stan believes that young adults are more in need of faith support now than perhaps at any other time, “I think people need faith a lot more now than 30 to 40 years ago. Immigrants tend to spend more time with people of the same background. U.S. Christian churches have done well in that regard. There is certainly room for us to improve our evangelization."

Stan cannot help but be aware of the Church on both sides of the Pacific, as it relates to the Vatican’s hope to grow ties with China. “It's been a bumpy road since Matteo Ricci's time, a few hundred years ago. Chinese Catholics in the U.S. may be able to play a role there."  The call to evangelize is also rooted in a personal relationship with Christ.  For Stan, “Jesus is the savior, my friend beside me. That is quite amazing if you think about it.”

Stan's brother, the Cardinal

Both Stan and Stephen studied at university as international students, with Stephen attending Loyola University in Chicago and Harvard University. Growing up, Stan’s brother Stephen was on a path to ordination early on. “I remember my brother becoming very involved in the altar society very quickly, so my mother did not let me join,” he recalls bemusedly.  Stan eventually met his wife, Alice, in joint Catholic activities held between the Catholic high schools.

In 2023, Pope Francis elevated Stephen from Bishop to Cardinal. When it was announced last year at Saint Simon that a Cardinal was visiting, Stan shared, “People tend to think a Cardinal is old. They asked if the one coming was my uncle.” Stan is aware of how rare it is to say that his brother, the Cardinal, is coming for a visit, but he insists, “Stephen is very down to earth and approachable. His talks are always well-received.” Stan related that whenever Stephen visits, taking him to a nice, new vegetarian restaurant, or sometimes to an alumni gathering or a fundraising event, is always an enjoyable experience.

A Sense of Gratitude to God

At St. Simon, Stan recently attended a presentation by Fr. Dat about the Cosmos and our religion.“We watched a video of all these things going on in the universe and I was struck by the fact that we are so little on Earth. You can go beyond our solar system, the Milky Way, and beyond the billions of stars.”

For Stan this is more evidence that we have a God who loves us as we are, rather than perhaps what we think we should be, produce or even earn, which is a strong cultural mindset in Silicon Valley, as well as in Asia “We have God, the creator of the whole universe, come down and humbly die for us, despite our smallness. He does all these things for us; he's always beside us, supporting us. We are very lucky.”