Wang, Joseph L. (Father)

Jesuit Father Joseph L. Wang died July 15, 2016 at the Toronto General Hospital.

Fr. Wang was born in Tianjin, China on January 3, 1933, to Wang Pei Yuan and Wang Su Hwa. He converted to Catholic Christianity when he was 16 years old and was baptized on April 16, 1949. Three years later, on November 11, 1952 he entered the Jesuit Novitiate in the China Region. He was sent to the Philippines to begin his Jesuit life. He taught mathematics and science during his regency. He was ordained a priest on May 9, 1965 in Taipei, Taiwan.

Through an arrangement with his provincial and Canadian Catholic bishops, Fr. Wang immigrated to Canada and served as a priest to many west coast communities. He worked in Prince George, B.C. (1984), Victoria, B.C. (1988), Vancouver, B.C. (1990), Kamloops, Salmon Arms, Mill Bay, and other Catholic communities on the West Coast.

When Fr. Wang moved to Eastern Canada, first Pickering and then Toronto, in 2011, it was his first experience in a long time to live in a Jesuit Community. In Toronto he provided ministry at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Fudger House, Chinese Martyrs’ Parish and St. Agnes Parish. Every weekend he would do a full measure of ministry using both his Chinese languages. He was doing ministry every day of his life until the day he died. His community would enjoy and encourage him to pray the grace before meals in Chinese.

After 64 years in religious life, he died on July 15, 2016. He was 83 years old.