Joseph Lin Thien-chu

Joseph Lin Thien-chu ( Chinese 林天助 , Pinyin Lín Tiānzhù , W.-G. Lin T'ien-chu ; * January 7, 1935 in today's Yunlin , Japanese Empire ; † March 4, 1994 in Jiayi , Taiwan ) was a Taiwanese clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church and bishop of the Chiayi diocese . He was the first Taiwan-born bishop in the history of the Roman Catholic Church in Taiwan.

Life

Joseph Lin Thien-chu came from a Catholic family in what is now Yunlin County in the Republic of China (Taiwan) . He attended the Episcopal Boys' Seminary in Kaohsiung and studied philosophy at the Regional Seminary for South China (today's Holy Spirit Seminary in Hong Kong ). He then went to study at the Pontifical Urban University in Rome , where he was ordained a priest on December 21, 1961 and a doctorate in theology in 1966.

After returning to Taiwan, Lin served as the priest and school principal of the Kaohsiung Episcopal Boys' Seminary . In 1985 the Holy See appointed him Bishop of Jiayi. It was the first time a native Taiwanese was appointed bishop of a Catholic Church diocese in Taiwan after only clergy from mainland China or the West had previously been considered. Lin held the episcopate until his death in 1994.

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personal data
SURNAME	Lin Thien-chu, Joseph
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Lín Tiānzhù
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Taiwanese clergyman, Bishop of Jiayi Diocese
DATE OF BIRTH	January 7, 1935
PLACE OF BIRTH	present-day Yunlin , Japanese Empire
DATE OF DEATH	March 4, 1994
Place of death	Jiayi , Taiwan