Bishop Ignatius C. Wang
Auxiliary Bishops Emeriti
First Asian-American and Chinese-American to be appointed as a Catholic bishop
Ignatius Chung Wang (pronounced Wong) was born in Beijing, China in 1934, the fifth of eight children in a family that had been Christian for twelve generations. He attended Catholic schools and began his studies to become a priest at the Regional Seminary in Hong Kong. He was ordained a priest in 1959 in Hong Kong at the Church of St. Francis of Assisi. After his ordination, Fr. Wang was unable to serve in China because of the Communist government. He was sent to Rome where he completed a doctorate in Canon Law in 1962. Unable to return to China, he took an assignment on the Caribbean Island of Grenada, where he served as a parish priest and Vicar General of the Diocese of St. George.
In 1974, Fr. Wang moved to San Francisco to be near his widowed sister, who had small children and was in poor health. When his sister died of cancer, Bishop Wang became guardian of her children.
Bishop Wang began his service in the Archdiocese of San Francisco 1974. He was a Parochial Vicar in several parishes and in 1981 was named the first archdiocesan Director of the Office of Chinese Catholic Ministry. He initiated a ritual Blessing of Ancestors at the annual archdiocesan Chinese New Year’s Mass. In 1982, he was appointed pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Church in San Francisco, making Fr. Wang the first Chinese Catholic pastor in San Francisco.
Pope John Paul II named him a Prelate of Honor of His Holiness with the title of Monsignor in 1989. He also has served in the archdiocesan Tribunal and as Coordinator of the Chinese Apostolate.
On Dec. 13, 2002, Pope John Paul II appointed Monsignor Wang to the post of Auxiliary Bishop in the Archdiocese of San Francisco. Bishop Wang is the first Catholic Bishop of Chinese ancestry and of Asian background to be appointed in the United States.
He served as auxiliary bishop of San Francisco under Archbishop William J. Levada and Archbishop George Niederauer until May 16, 2009, when Pope Benedict XVI received Wang’s letter of resignation as auxiliary bishop of San Francisco, having reached the mandatory retirement age of 75 for bishops.
On November 11, 2017, Archbishop Wang was interviewed by Deacon Pedro Guevara Mann on Canada’s Salt and Light Media. Listen to his segment, in which he discusses the state of Christianity in China today, here, or watch here.
Chronology of Significant Events
Bishop William J. Justice,
Auxiliary Bishop Emeriti
Date of Birth:
February 27, 1934, Beijing, China
Ordained a Priest:
July 4, 1959 in the Church of St. Francis of Assisi, Hong Kong for the Prefecture of Kienow, China
Appointed a Prelate of Honor (Monsignor):
1989
Appointed Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of San Francisco and Titular Bishop of Sitipa:
December 13, 2002
Ordained Bishop:
January 30, 2003 by Archbishop William J. Levada
Retired:
May 16, 2009.
Pope Benedict XVI received Wang’s letter of resignation as auxiliary bishop of San Francisco, having reached the mandatory retirement age of 75 for bishops.
*Retired Auxiliary Bishop Ignatius C. Wang of San Francisco, right, and Vincentian Father Joseph Lin of St. Agatha Parish in Brooklyn, N.Y., elevate the Eucharist during Mass at the U.S. Catholic China Bureau’s 27th biennial national conference at St. John’s University in Jamaica, N.Y. (CNS photo/Gregory A. Shemitz)
Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus Ignatius Wang Coat of Arms
On a gold/yellow field, red cross with a squared off center containing a depiction of St. Mary’s Cathedral in San Francisco in white and black.
In the upper left is a red cross which is taken from the coat-of-arms of Archbishop William Levada of San Francisco and is intended to honor him as the prelate who ordained the bearer of these arms (Bishop Wang) to the fullness of Christ’s Holy Priesthood.
In the upper right is the Chinese character “En” representing grace.
In the lower left is a green bamboo shoot representing resilience and recalling Bishop Wang’s heritage. In the lower right a blue fleur-de-lis, an ancient symbol of the Blessed Mother for whom Bishop Wang has a strong devotion.
The shield is mounted on a gold processional cross representing the bearer’s episcopal dignity and the entire achievement of arms is crowned with the traditional pontifical hat (or gallero) and six tassels hanging on each side.
Below the shield is Bishop Wang’s Motto: Quid Retribuam Domino (How can I make a return to the Lord) on a white scroll.