Religion’s Famous People

Paul Shan Kuo-hsi, S.J. (Chinese language: 單國璽; pinyin: Shàn Guóxǐ) (December 3, 1923 – August 22, 2012) was a cardinal in the Roman Catholic Church. He was at times the bishop of Hualien and Kaohsiung and the chairman of Fu Jen Catholic University. Born in Puyang, Zhili province (now Puyang, Henan province) of China. He joined Society of Jesus on September 11, 1946; took religious vows, September 12, 1948 and final vows on February 2, 1963. He was ordained on March 18, 1955 in Baguio, Philippines. He attended the St. Joseph Regional Seminary, Chiughsien; Berchmans College, Manila, where he earned a licentiate in philosophy. He went on to attend Bellarmine College, Baguio, Philippines being awarded a licentiate in theology. He also attended the Xavier University earning a diploma in education science and finally the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome where he was awarded a doctorate in theology. Besides Mandarin, his first language, he also spoke Latin, English, French, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese.

After his ordaination to the priesthood in 1955, he did further studies in Novaliches from 1955–1957. He then served as director of the Chinese section of Sacred Heart School, Cebu from 1957–1959, after which he took time to pursue doctoral studies in Rome. He served as assistant of master of novices, Thuduc, Vietnam from 1959–1963, then Master of novices and rector of Manresa House, Changhua, Taiwan from 1963–1970. He went on to serve as rector of St. Ignatius Institute in Taipei from 1970–1976 and president of the Catholic Schools Association, Taiwan from 1972–1976.

He was appointed episcopal vicar of Taipei in 1976 holding the post until 1979. He was appointed Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hualien, in Hualien, Taiwan, on November 15, 1979, by the late former Pope John Paul II, and after his episcopal ordination was formally installed as Bishop of Hualien on February 14, 1981. After his service there, he was transferred and appointed Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kaohsiung, in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, also by Pope John Paul II, on March 4, 1991. He was formally installed as Bishop of Kaohsiung on June 17, 1991.

He was appointed Cardinal-Priest of the Titulus S. Chrysogoni by Pope John Paul II on February 21, 1998, and was, following the death of Cardinal Ignatius Kung in 2000, and then Cardinal John Wu in 2002, and before the elevation of Cardinal Joseph Zen, the only known living Chinese Cardinal (a Cardinal appointed in pectore by Pope John Paul II in 2003 was rumored to reside in mainland China, but that appointment expired with the Pontiff's death since the Cardinal's name was never published). He retired in January 2006, and died on Wednesday, August 22, 2012, after a battle with a pneumonia infection, having also battled lung cancer since his diagnosis in August 2006, eight months after his retirement.

Cheng Yen (traditional Chinese: 證嚴法師; pinyin: Zhèngyán Fǎshī; born 11 May 1937) is a TaiwaneseBuddhist nun (bhikkhuni), teacher, and philanthropist.She is often called the "Mother Teresa of Asia."In 1966, Cheng Yen founded the Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation, commonly known as Tzu Chi; its motto is "instructing the rich and saving the poor". Later, Cheng Yen's Charity, Medicine, Education, and Culture Missions developed, and to the present the Tzu Chi Foundation has become involved in international disaster relief, bone marrow donation, environmental protection, and community volunteering.