Hello everyone! My name is Samantha Peralta, Sam for short. I am a 19 year old international student from the University of Norte Dame coming from the United States. Before coming to China, I decided that it was time for me to do the one thing I’ve always wanted to do as a kid, study Chinese seriously. I lived near Chinatown in Los Angeles, so the hanzi characters I would see on advertisements and buildings would made me wonder what it was trying to communicate. I’ve always dreamt that one day I will become fluent in Chinese and utilize my multicultural tongue to be able to work, help, and befriend people from diverse backgrounds.
The last time I remember going to church was in 2023. I was accompanying my Catholic friend from high school, who asked me if I wanted to go with her. I said “yes” because she didn’t have anyone from her family who could join her at that time. Personally, I don’t prioritize going to church as I was a high-achieving, high school student with a stacked schedule (yes, even busy on Sundays). Homework, studying, and dedicated time to hang out with my family consumed the majority of the 168 hours of my week. Since then, I haven’t attended church. Although I was born into a “Catholic” family, we tried going to church every Sunday when I was in elementary school. However, due to an increase in responsibility of taking care of the children born into my family, going to church seemed impossible to fit in our schedule.
The church I would attend as a kid was St. Vincent De Paul, located in Los Angeles. The exterior of that church reminded me of the large, carefully crafted churches I would admire in Mexico. St. Vincent offered mass services that would be fully presented in Spanish, which were the ones I usually attended with my family. Fun fact, I never attended mass where the service was held in English. Hence, I took advantage of the opportunity to attend church in China with an English service! I was so curious to hear the dictation and bible verses utilized in English.
Although I am someone who is non religious, I also decided to attend church because I have never been to a mass service in China. Before arriving at church, I made a prediction that the architecture would have a traditional Chinese style structure. Various of different shades of the color red with a hint of European inspired statues of Jesus Christ all across of the vicinity. Moreover, I wondered if most of the audience presented for the service would be foreigners. Beijing has so many people from international countries coming to work or study, so I wouldn’t be surprised if the audience were mostly foreigners.
As I was walking on the steps towards the Church of the Savior, I immediately noticed the building was heavily dominated by European-style architecture. Neutral colors like white and gray were heavily implemented on the exterior structure which made it contrast from the greenery location it was on. However, I was partially correct about one thing. The Church of the Savior had a maroon color-like shade on its doors which I can infer symbolizes a piece of Chinese pride. Furthermore, I was more interested in the blend of juxtaposition within the two Chinese architectures standing in front of the European-styled church. I have never seen two different cultural architectures emerge together for a religious purpose.
Before stepping into Church of the Savior located on Xishiku Street, this brought me flashbacks when I first entered Saint Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. Heading inside the church is what made me sign an awe. The colored glass on the walls had notable landmarks in Chinese culture. I was able to spot the famous Temple of Heaven and the Great Wall in the colored-glass! Also, the play of the color scheme has helped me remain focused on the service. The bright neon yellow and dark green colors on the poles made your eyes straighten your attention towards the large Jesus colored-glass.
As the priest was reciting bible verses that emphasizes to love thy neighbors and respect one another, I felt a hint of guilt. This year I have made minimal effort to spend time with my loved ones as I was heavily focused on obtaining good grades in my classes and barely learning how to navigate life like an adult. Education and independence are values I truly hold my standards high towards because I am the first person in my family to attend a four year university without having responsibilities to take care of anyone. I don’t regret dedicating this year to work on my overall character as a young adult, however, I sometimes forget I can ask others for help.
I find it really interesting how heavily embedded 微信 (WeChat) is utilized across Chinese culture. When I saw the church staff pull out a wooden sign with the 微信 QR code asking for donations, I found it pretty amusing! In many American churches, the service staff would have teenagers/young adults walking around for donations with a basket on their hands. Typically, people would donate via physical cash to not become distracted on their phones during the service. I find it very convenient living in China compared to the United States because you can pay with your phone almost anywhere you go!
This experience has brought back nostalgia to the times when I would attend church with my grandmother. The familiar feeling of cold air hitting my arms and triggering goosebumps are unique moments I’ve only encountered while attending church services. It was nice to have this one hour to reflect on myself and my spiritual beliefs. A gentle reminder for me to express gratitude towards the opportunities I’ve been able to grapple this year. From spending a month studying in Poland to dedicating a whole semester living in China to improve my Mandarin. In this intimate space, I have dedicated a goal towards continute talking to Chinese locals and to not take correction personal. Remaining humble is an important aspect one should have no matter how confident one can be about their abilities. Sometimes I can get frustrated with getting corrected all the time, but I have to acknowledge that if I embed those corrections into my Chinese journey, then my strength as an adaptive person has truly shined.
By Samantha Peralta, Fall 2026
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TBC student Samantha Peralta reflects on her first experience attending an English-language Mass in Beijing, exploring the intersection of Chinese and Western cultures and the personal insights she gained along the way.