Hundreds of Chinese Catholics from Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and New Jersey attended the solemn Mass and 30th annual Assumption procession organized by the Church of the Transfiguration on Sunday, August 9.

Diocese of Brooklyn Auxiliary Bishop Octavio Cisneros served as principal celebrant of the multilingual Mass, which featured readings in Mandarin and Cantonese with an English liturgy, and included comments in Spanish from Bishop Cisneros during the homily.

Fr. Roger Kwan, pastor of the Church of the Transfiguration, concelebrated, along with Fr. Andrew Tsui of the Diocese of Brooklyn, who grew up in the parish. They were assisted by Deacon Patrick So.

“Sometimes we wish we could speak many languages and be understood,” Bishop Cisneros said in his homily, which was translated into Mandarin. “But we speak the language of faith.”

“Having completed the course of her earthly life, Mary assumed body and soul into heavenly glory, and is exalted by the Lord as the Queen of the Universe, so that she might be more fully conformed to her Son, Lord of Lords, and conqueror of sin and death. The Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a singular participation in her Son’s resurrection, and an anticipation of the resurrection promised to all of us, to all Christians,” the bishop said.

The parish’s titular Feast of the Transfiguration was celebrated on Thursday, August 6. The Assumption will be celebrated on Saturday, August 15, 2026.

A celebration of religious freedom and gratitude

Begun by Fujianese Catholics at Transfiguration Church in Manhattan’s Chinatown, the Assumption Procession had grown over three decades into one of the largest annual gatherings of Chinese Catholics in New York, drawing hundreds of faithful from across the tri-state area while welcoming people of all cultural backgrounds. Many of the founding Fujianese came to New York fleeing persecution of Catholics in the People’s Republic of China, and initiated the procession to express their gratitude to the Blessed Virgin for shepherding them along their journey.

Following Mass, Bishop Cisneros, Fr. Kwan, Fr. Tsui, Deacon So, and hundreds of participants gathered in front of the church, despite temperatures in the 90s. They processed through the streets of Chinatown and the Lower East Side, bearing a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary with Marian hymns, music and prayer. The celebration concluded with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.

“I’m just helping out,” said Vincent Padula, who found himself carrying the flag of the Holy See at the head of the parade. Padula’s wife, Paula, teaches at Transfiguration School and is also a volunteer at the church.

Established as a German Lutheran church in 1801, the church later served Dutch immigrants before Archbishop John Hughes, New York’s first archbishop, purchased the building and made the Church of the Transfiguration part of the Archdiocese of New York in January,1853. As Mott Street emerged as the heart of Manhattan’s Chinatown, the church adapted to serve the local Chinese community. Today, it offers Masses in Cantonese, Mandarin, and English each weekend and holy day of obligation.