After consultation with the Scalabrinians in Australia, the Provincial Superior at the time Fr. Dominic Ceresoli, CS initiated contacts with the Episcopal Conference of Taiwan in view of opening a Mission for Migrants in that country. 

On June 2, 1994, the Archbishop of Taipei, Mons. Joseph Ti-Kang welcomed Fr. Edwin Corros, CS and Fr. Michael Cagna, CS as missionaries to foreign workers in the Taipei Archdiocese who would be responsible for the Office for Migration under the Episcopal Conference of Taiwan.

In 1997 Fr. Edwin Corros, CS was made Parish Priest of St. Christopher’s Parish, Taipei’s largest Parish (98% Filipino overseas workers), and
Fr. Michael Cagna, CS the assistant in the Parish and Chaplain to overseas workers. Attendance at Sunday Masses was in the vicinity of 3000 people.

KAOHSIUNG Mission: In February 1996 Fr. Bruno Ciceri, CS arrived in the Diocese of Kaohsiung as Director of the Stella Maris International Seamen’s Centre (one of the largest Ports in the world) to be joined by Fr. Edward Pacquing, CS and Brother Rizzalino Pongo. Their ministry extended also to the pastoral care of overseas workers in the St. Mary’s Parish (Kaohsiung) and other Parishes.

This Parish has now been entrusted to the care of the Scalabrinian Fathers.

Fr. Reynaldo Saavedra CS, 1999-2006, and Bro. Jose Guadalupe Hernandez (2006-2007) were assigned AOS Chaplain and Director of Stella Maris Seafarers Center. Fr. Luis Viovicente, CS was assigned Assistant Parish Priest in 2005-2006. 

Fr. Roger Cortuna Manalo, CS arrived Kaohsiung in July 2005 to study the Chinese language and  he was assigned Assistant Parish Priest at
St. Joseph and Chaplain to migrant workers in the Diocese of Kaohsiung (from May 2006 to December 2011) and Port Chaplain and Director of Stella Maris Seafarers Center (May 2007-December 2011).

 Fr. Ranulfo Salise, CS became the Director of Stella Maris International Service Center in 2009 (to the present) and AOS Chaplain and Director of Stella Maris Seafarers Center in January 2012.

Fr. Franco Lacanaria, CS arrived in Kaohsiung in 2009 and started a fulltime Chinese language studies. At the beginning of January 2011, he was assigned Assistant Parish Priest at St. Joseph and Chaplain to the migrant workers in the Diocese of Kaohsiung and on January 15, 2012, he was installed Parish Priest of St. Mary’s Church in Kaohsiung City, the first Chinese –Taiwanese Parish that the Scalabrinians assumed in Taiwan.
 

For more information on the history and presence of the Scalabrinians in Taiwan see our pages on Migration Services in the 'What We Do'  section.