Learn More About Our New Priest

Dear All,

I am Fr. Yongli Chen. Please call me  Fr. John to honor my baptismal name. It is a great pleasure to come back to the Archdiocese of Detroit and serve the Northwest Oakland Lakes Family of Parishes. All of you have been welcoming and already received me as one of your own. Fr. Scott, Fr. Craig, and Fr. Bob have also been kind to me and made my transition very comfortable. 

I recently finished my studies at St. Paul University in Ottawa, Canada. During my studies, I realized how much parishioners have taught me to be a faithful servant to the Lord. I hope to continuously grow my faith in Christ with all of you.
Admittedly, my faith journey will differ greatly from the priests here in the States. However, I hope that my experiences of God’s grace will complement yours and yours to me. I grew up in a devout catholic family. I have witnessed firsthand how a church in China not only survived but also thrived under various hardships and persecutions. For instance, in 2000, my priestly training was disrupted and temporarily halted. 

Thanks to the generosity of the Archdiocese of Detroit, I could continue my priestly formation at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in 2002. I returned to China in 2008 after completing my spiritual training. Then, I served as Assistant Dean of Studies at the National Seminary in Beijing for a few years. These experiences were foundational to my personal and spiritual growth, and I would like to share more with you in the future.

Here I am, and very grateful and blessed to serve all of you at the
Northwest Oakland Lakes Family of Parishes. 

Fr. John