This paper explores missionary outreach in Shenzhen, China, focusing on inculturation—the adaptation of Catholicism to Chinese cultural contexts—through ethnographic research at Saint Anthony’s Church in Futian. Led by Fr. Francis Xavier Zhang, the church integrates Chinese cultural elements into religious practices, inspired by St. Francis Xavier and Matteo Ricci. Central to this approach is fengxian (“offering”), a dedication of one’s life and labor to evangelization.
Amid Xi Jinping’s religious sinicization policies, Fr. Zhang incorporates Chinese symbols into church architecture, artwork, and liturgical practices, including a Marian icon with Southern Chinese features. Parishioners practice fengxian through service, discipline, and evangelistic engagement, seeing their actions as both communal support and spiritual devotion. The paper examines inculturation as both an evangelization strategy and a form of religious subjectivity, contributing to discussions on the localization of global religions, state-religion dynamics, and contemporary Catholicism in urban China.