Welsh, Charles A. (Father)

Father Charles Arthur Welsh, SJ, a member of the China Province and formerly of the California Province, died in Taiwan on January 26, 2023, after a lifetime of pastoral and social work in Taiwan. He was 88 years old.

Fr. Welsh was born in San Francisco on April 10, 1934, the son of Arthur Welsh and Doris Martin Welsh. He was raised in Burlingame, California, and after earning a degree in business administration from the University of California, Berkeley, entered the Jesuit novitiate in Los Gatos, California, on September 14, 1959. Following studies in philosophy and economics at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington, he went to Taiwan in 1965 to continue his studies in Chinese and theology. He was ordained a priest June 10, 1972, in San Francisco and returned to Taiwan, the focus of his ministry for the rest of his life.

Fluent in both Mandarin and Amoy Chinese, he worked at the Catholic Social Service Center in Hsinchu, assuming the directorship for many years. He earned a master’s degree in psychology at Taiwan National University and added counseling, guidance and adult education to his ministry. Fr. Welsh served as superior at several Jesuit communities and held various province-level positions promoting the social work and professional standards of the Jesuit ministries. He moved to the province infirmary in Xinzhuang in 2022 for a ministry of prayer until his death. Altogether, he served the Society in Taiwan for almost 58 years. Funeral services were held in Taiwan.