A long journey delivering peace

Michele Marr

As a child Tang Wo Ping attended the Phoenix Chinese School in Arizona

with his six siblings.

The children of Chinese immigrants, they went to the Phoenix school in

the evening after a full day at St. Mary’s Catholic school to learn their

parents’ native tongue and culture.

Late last year Tang, now Father Emery, was the keynote speaker at the

school’s 60th anniversary reunion. He is a Franciscan monk, the author of

a book titled “China Connection” -- a book that recounts his pilgrimage

to the land of his forefathers -- and a Roman Catholic priest.

On Sunday, June 9, at the age 74, Tang celebrated another milestone

anniversary -- the 50th anniversary of his ordination. The festive Mass

and reception was held at Sts. Simon and Jude Church in Huntington Beach.

Tang designed the invitation and addressed hundreds of them by hand,

as he recovered from surgery to remove a malignant tumor from one of his

lungs.

“I owe it to these people who have been my friends through all these

years,” he said.

Tang entered the Franciscan Seminary in Santa Barbara at the age of

13. He was one of 14 boys from his eighth-grade class at St. Mary’s

school who did.

“My mom was swept off her feet by the decision. My dad said I was too

young to know what I was doing -- and he was right,” Tang said and

laughed.

Yet he was the only one of those 14 boys who continued at the seminary

year after year. A piece of him broke off, he said, each time someone

left and went home. After 12 years of study and a one-year internship

Tang was ordained. He served as an administrative educator in Northern

California until 1965. Then for 14 years he worked at the Franciscan

Communications Center in Los Angeles. He is an accomplished photographer

and artist. In 1983 he produced an inspirational book with his friend and

fellow Franciscan, Hugh Noonan. Tang was the photographer for “Listen,

the Clams Are Talking.” Noonan was the writer. Tang describes his stories

of human nature and the human condition as “timely and timeless.”

Tang also developed and still produces a line of greeting cards called

Care-n-Share cards. Each card features one of his photographs and a

written message that he hopes will, “build bridges of understanding and

bring peace to damaged lives.” He describes his ministry as flowing, with

one thing leading to the next. He came from the Serra Retreat Center in

Malibu to Sts. Simon and Jude in 1994 to direct its retreats and parish

missions. On the Saturday morning before his anniversary celebration,

Tang sat at the desk in his bright, airy office. He rested a hand on a

neat stack of opened greetings.

“I ask myself, in what way have you affected people,” he said.

Scores of handwritten messages in as many greeting cards answer him.

It is clear that this man who is often affectionately, simply called E.T.

has touched countless lives.

“Because of your teachings and pounding it into my heart and head I

also will celebrate 50 years of marriage,” a man named Peter wrote Tang.

“You’ve changed our lives and made them better. It’s going on four

generations of our family that your love has affected,” penned a woman

named Mary.

“You are the sunshine in our garden of life and we love you,” the note

from a couple, Bud and Caryl, read.

On the front of program for his anniversary Mass was the prayer of St.

Francis of Assisi in classical Chinese. In English its first lines would

read, “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred

let me sow love.”

On the back of the program was a note to Tang from the congregation of

Sts. Simon and Jude Church, “You have taught us well about the mercy and

love of Jesus. For this you will always have a fond and lasting place in

our hearts.”

In the minutes before the Mass, the pews in the sanctuary filled with

members of the church, members of Tang’s family, old friends and

colleagues. Tang stood quietly and looked out at them.

“Please, give me a moment to savor this,” he asked them. Soft,

agreeable laughter rippled across the room.

* MICHELE MARR is a freelance writer and graphic designer from

Huntington Beach. She has been interested in religion and ethics for as

long as she can remember. She can be reached at o7

michele@soulfoodfiles.com.f7