Rosary in Hand, Homeland in Heart

“Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery. Let’s live today.”​

That Sunday, summer’s lingering heat wave had just ebbed, and a crisp autumn breeze breathed life into Shanghai. At the Gothic-style Xuhui Catholic Church, the afternoon Sunday Mass had just concluded. People chatted, laughed, and embraced one another, and it was in the garden before this sacred building that I met him.​

Xuhui Catholic Church

He is an international student at Shanghai Tongji University, majoring in civil engineering. “I come to church every Sunday for Mass—it’s become an indispensable part of my life,” he said. Coming from Uganda, he was born into a Catholic family, and his faith, he explained, is “the root we stand on.”​

Prayer is woven into his daily life: “I recite my Rosary every day, even on the metro to and from school in the mornings and evenings.” The Rosary, a sequence of prayers meditating on the lives of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary, is never far from him—he pulled out a tattered pocket prayer booklet he always carries. “Mother Mary is the mother of the Church,” he said softly, “When you reach out through her, her Son carries our wishes straight to God.”​

This devotion once led him to dream of becoming a priest as a child. As our conversation unfolded, his dark, reflective eyes brightened with growing fervor as he recounted every moment of his communion with God with indescribable enthusiasm. “Life has things you can’t explain,” he mused, “so there must be someone guiding your fate.” He never imagined he’d end up in Shanghai, but here he is, and life is moving in ways he has never planned.​

Chatting with him in the garden in front of the church

Back in Uganda, “even with different religious traditions, we all believe in Christ. We work five days a week and reserve two for church.” Here, though, he noted, “church isn’t part of most people’s lives.” It was his first brush with such a sharp cultural clash, but the diverse Catholic community at Shanghai’s parish welcomed him with open arms. He adapted quickly, his faith acting as a bridge.​

By the time we spoke, he had spent nine months in Shanghai. When I asked what drew him to study abroad here, his answer was clear: “Education opportunities.” In Uganda, he explained, “when our colonizers left, they left a school system that trains workers, not leaders. But here, they train leaders, not followers.” His voice softened, but his resolve sharpened: “When I finish my studies, I’ll go back and make a change.”​

Uganda, a landlocked nation in East Africa, has a population of 45.9 million, of whom only 74% are literate. “I’m studying civil engineering because I want to go home and build solid infrastructure,” he said. “I want to make a real, powerful impact on my country.”​

“One day, I’ll definitely fulfill this dream,” he declared, “Shanghai has given me everything I need: I’m studying the best courses at one of the world’s top universities.” His eyes were shining with hope.

The path to a dream is rarely smooth, and thorns and mires have marked his journey too. But faith is his anchor. “Hard times test our patience. They test whether we’ll stand firm or stumble,” he said, his gaze drifting to the church’s maroon facade in the distance. “That’s why we pray. We turn to our Creator when things get tough.”​

From his faith, he learned a vital lesson: “We can’t see the future, but we can learn from yesterday to get through today.” In hard times, “I reflect on the good days, and in good times, I remember the hard ones that pushed me forward. That’s how I learn to cherish every moment.”​

Then, he painted a gentle picture of his belief in the afterlife. “One day, we’ll return to the Creator. We’ll sing beautiful hymns in a world flowing with milk and honey.” He nodded softly, and a warm, sunlit smile spread across his plump, healthy cheeks.​

Faith is more than a ritual. It is a spiritual pillar, a compass for life. It helped him settle into a strange new city, sustained him when times were most challenging, wove bonds of joy and meaning, and guided him closer to his dream.​

Maybe it was fate that brought us together that Sunday. His story, unique and heartfelt, is more than the tale of a devout Catholic student - it’s a reminder of what it means to live with purpose: to hold fast to one’s roots, to reach for one’s dreams, and to savor every day along the way.