Friends form supportive communities in Wuhan - by Fr Dan Troy

April 26, 2022

Photo by Max Zhang on Unsplash

During the peak of the coronavirus in Wuhan, one afternoon, I had a phone call from Han Weiwei. His daily calls are a normal part of my life in Wuhan and have been so even before the coronavirus arrived. As 60 million people in this province needed to stay indoors during those days, Weiwei's phone calls took on a deeper significance. In a setting where meeting people became so rare, these phone calls allowed me to keep in touch with him and his family's life on the other side of the city.

As we talked, he gave me an update about his mother. She was in the hospital with mild symptoms of the coronavirus. Thankfully, she expected to return home within a few days. He asked about when we might meet again. I assured him that as soon as public transport was restored, we would be able to meet. Later I inquired if he had enough food in his house while he took care of his own meals. He assured me that he was doing fine with the cooking. The conversation then took a familiar change of direction as he told me which mobile phones are better than others. Then followed another change of focus as he told me that it is ten years since we met for the first time. My assumption is that it is closer to five years. Again he asked me about when we might meet. During those weeks he introduced a new dimension to our conversations. He began by saying that he would like to tell a joke. I encouraged him to do so. Then in a serious tone, he announced that we would never again meet. My side of the dialogue was to receive this news with a gasp. Then there was silence. Soon the silence was broken when he said that he was only joking. We both laughed and then moved on to other discussions.

Weiwei's family lives close to Holy Family Catholic Church in Wuhan, and that is where we met for the first time. He likes to greet members of the international community who gather on Sunday mornings to celebrate Mass in English. He is also well known among the Chinese parishioners. Occasionally, he helps to clean the compound surrounding the 120-year-old Italian style church during the week.

Holy Family Catholic Church in Wuhan. Photo: Wikimedia Commons/花园山圣家堂, CC BY-SA 3.0

Three years ago, Weiwei and I decided to meet on a Wednesday and go with three other friends on an adventure around the city. I met him at his home, and we travelled to another area of the city where we met our three friends. We then continued as far as the city's aquarium. In this unique setting of abundant fish life, we joined the weaving crowds moving from one glass wall of water to the next. Before our eyes were a multitude of coloured fish that would rival any coral reef in the world, each of us pointed out particular fish that we liked. Later we found a suitable place outdoors in the pleasant sunshine to share some light food and chat. A few people were asked to take photographs of our group. In the early afternoon, we went for lunch and continued to talk about what we had seen at the aquarium. Later we prepared to return to our respective homes in five different areas of the city. Even this part of the day required some coordination hoping that each of us would get home safely. Throughout the day some flexibility was needed because our planning of the day and the actual unfolding of events were occasionally a distance away from each other. Most importantly, we had enjoyed our time together.

Since three years ago, there have been similar outings, sometimes with fewer people than the first day. These activities are based on a model of community as envisioned by Marie-Helene Mathieu and Jean Vanier when they co-founded Faith and Light in France in 1971. Faith and Light provides opportunities for people of different abilities to form supportive communities, with shared activities playing an important role within a faith setting. We do not claim to be members of Faith and Light in Wuhan, but someday we might get closer to that possibility.

In China, as the country moves ahead with rapid economic development, people living on the margins of society can experience painful isolation. However, in several areas of China, I have noticed that people at parish churches provide a warm welcome to people of varying abilities. People can meet others, participate in prayer, and stay at the church for several hours in a pleasant setting. This is quite different from the atmosphere in many commercial districts of modern Chinese cities.

Weiwei and I discussed where we might go during our next outing during our phone calls. I suggested Hubuxiang, the area with multiple small restaurants offering local food very near the first bridge ever built across the Yangtze River. He suggested that we go to the riverside to view the scenery, something that was not possible for so many people during the peak of the coronavirus. Taking the ferry to the other side of the river was also suggested. I said that it might be necessary for the two of us to go to the barber on the day we meet, such was the length of time that this profession had been deprived of its contribution to society.

In the meantime, we continued to wait. We also continued to pray for the many grieving families who endured so much suffering during those weeks of upheaval. As the phone call came to a close, we said a prayer. Then Weiwei and I said goodbye to each other. He concluded with the assurance that he would call again tomorrow.

Columban Fr Dan Troy lives and works in Wuhan, China.

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