For about 8 years, Bishop Curtis and Cardinal Kung lived in the same residence, the retired clergy home of the Bridgeport Diocese. I had the privilege of visiting him almost daily. When we met, the conversation very often turned to the ongoing persecution of the Roman Catholic Church in China. He was most interested, saddened, and concerned with my almost daily briefings. I recalled one of our conversations almost seven years ago.

"Why do you tell me the same story everyday?" The Bishop asked in a serious tone.

"I thought that you are interested in China, Bishop", I said.

"Why do you tell ME only? Do you really think that I can solve your problem in China? There are more than 400 bishops in the United States, thousands more worldwide. There are hundreds of thousands of priests and almost a billion Catholics in the world. What you have told me about China is invaluable. However, it is not good enough to tell me alone. Each one of these bishops, priests, and faithful ought to know about the on-going persecutions to the Roman Catholic Church in China. Joe, you must tell the world the same story that you've told me." Bishop began to smile most genially.

With the tireless encouragement of Bishop Curtis and the endorsement of Cardinal Kung, The Cardinal Kung Foundation was founded in 1992. The Bishop immediately donated $ 5,000 to the Foundation as seed money. He was personally involved in every step of the initial formation of the Foundation. He helped to design the logo, translate the prayer for China on Cardinal Kung's prayer card. He spent hours working on our mission statement and the introductory brochure. The Board of Directors is very grateful for Bishop Curtis' guidance at all the Board meetings during the past six years. The Bishop missed only one meeting due to illness.

Bishop Curtis was most compassionate and generous to Cardinal Kung during the past 9 years. When China agreed to let the Cardinal go to the United States for medical reasons, Bishop Curtis knew very little about China or Cardinal Kung, except that the Cardinal was a prisoner of conscience for 32 years for his faith. In spite of this, Bishop Curtis warmly welcomed the Cardinal to his diocese without any hesitation. He offered the Cardinal residency in the diocese retirement home for the clergy. This became a home for Cardinal Kung for the past nine years. In fact, this is the only home Cardinal Kung has had for the past 42 years. The friendship, care and tranquility at the Clergy Home are important reasons for the Cardinal's good health at age 96.

A few months after Cardinal Kung's arrival in the Queen of Clergy Home, Bishop Curtis retired as Bishop of the Bridgeport Diocese after 27 years. He joined the Cardinal at the Queen of Clergy Home. In spite of the language barrier, Bishop Curtis and Cardinal Kung became very close friends. Their deep respect for each other and their mutual understanding needed no exchange of words. Whenever necessary, Bishop Curtis would resort to Latin.

When Bishop Curtis retired from the diocese of 330 thousand Catholics, he immediately adopted spiritually the eight million Catholics in China. He stood by Cardinal Kung every step of the way. He could not have been prouder when the Holy Father spoke openly of his affection for China and his pride in the fidelity of the underground Church. This good natured Bishop would be outraged, grieved and would pray when the underground Church and Cardinal Kung were misrepresented, and when the underground Church was attacked. He gave thanks to our Lady of Sheshan when the Foundation was able to advance the causes of the suffering Church in China.

In their residence, Bishop Curtis quietly took care of this senior bishop from China. He was always on hand at the crucial moments to offer assistance and advice. Once, Cardinal Kung suddenly took ill at night. They could not reach my family. Bishop Curtis personally made sure that the Cardinal received all medical care. When we arrived at the Cardinal's residence near midnight, we found Bishop Curtis quietly praying outside the Cardinal's room. Bishop Curtis could not visit the Cardinal because he had a cold. He asked a priest to pray by the bedside of Cardinal Kung. In 1991, the Cardinal had to spend his Episcopal anniversary in the hospital. Knowing the Cardinal's devotion to the Holy Mass, Bishop Curtis surprised the Cardinal with an altar set up next to his room and concelebrated a Mass with the Cardinal on the wheelchair.

From time to time, Cardinal Kung received invitations to celebrate special commemorative Masses. Arrangement for these events had to be finalized months ahead. Not knowing the status of his health far in advance, Cardinal Kung would be reluctant to commit. Bishop Curtis felt strongly that through personal contacts with Cardinal Kung, others would learn of the fidelity of the persecuted Church in China. Bishop Curtis would encourage Cardinal Kung to accept such requests and promise that he would accompany the Cardinal to these services, ready to step in if the Cardinal was unable to perform these services. Consequently, Bishop Curtis accompanied Cardinal Kung to many services: the Memorial Mass for the victims of the Tiananmen Square Massacre, the Scranton St. Ann Media's nation-wide TV Mass for China, the ordinations of priests in New York State, the Mass of Thanksgiving for the martyrdom of Bishop Joseph Fan, the late Bishop of Baoding in China, and many other services. When the Cardinal received his red hat in Rome, the Bishop was there, too, for all the functions. The Chinese community was very grateful and proud to have Bishop Curtis' presence at all Cardinal's major functions.

A year ago, Bishop Curtis gave my wife Agnes an old holy card of Our Lady attired in Chinese dress. When she turned over the holy card, she was very surprised that it was a commemorative card for Bishop Curtis' priestly ordination in 1937 in Rome. The Bishop could not remember why this holy card was chosen sixty years ago, when he knew so very little about China. Bishop Curtis believed that it was God's plan that he himself would one day be so intimately involved with the Catholic Church in China.

Bishop Curtis was ordained a priest in 1937 in the chapel of Our Lady of Humility in Rome on the feast of the Immaculate Conception. He celebrated his second Mass in the Borgese Chapel of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, and chose "Mariae Immaculatae" as the motto for his Episcopal coat of arms. No wonder, in his homily of the vigil Mass for Bishop Curtis' funeral, Msgr. Wallin, his secretary, remembered Bishop Curtis as "completely Mary's son". In his deep devotion to the Holy Mother, it suddenly dawned on Bishop Curtis that China could not have been consecrated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary because of Cardinal Kung's long imprisonment and the imprisonment of many other bishops in China. On May 30, 1992, with the assistance of Bishop Curtis, Cardinal Kung, in union with all underground bishops in China, solemnly consecrated his three dioceses to the Immaculate Heart of Mary at Her Shrine in Washington, New Jersey.

When I went to inform Cardinal Kung of Bishop Curtis' death, he responded spontaneously: "Bishop Curtis was my good friend. I did not even have a chance to pray for him while he was dying. Why was I not told of his dying?...". The Cardinal wept. Cardinal became very quiet and went to his desk to pray. Next day, the Cardinal began the novena Masses for the repose of the soul of Bishop Curtis, his dear friend and a great friend of China.

As we celebrate the birth of our Lord, let us also remember our Founding Chairman, Bishop Curtis. Through his guidance, the Foundation was able to bring the persecution of the underground Church of China to the attention of the free world. With your spiritual and financial support, the Foundation is becoming the source of news to many governments and human rights organizations on the silent Church in China. I am confident that Bishop Curtis will work even harder, interceding for China and for the Cardinal Kung Foundation before the throne of the Queen of Heaven. Please pray for Bishop Curtis and thank him for friendship and generosity to Cardinal Kung and to China.