This bicentenary is not a celebration of our greatness or our successes, but rather a celebration of God's blessings over these 160 years of our CICM history.
The best way to celebrate, then, is to strengthen our missionary charism and to revitalize in the hearts of each and every one of us the passion that led Théophile Verbist to leave a comfortable life in Belgium for the harsh climate and destitution of northern China. There is no better way to honour his memory than to love God, our neighbour, and the mission that God has entrusted to us, following the example of Father Théophile Verbist. - Charles Phukuta, Chronica No. 4 2023 pp.159-160
