Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Beijing (Agenzia Fides) -To promote faith formation and particular missionary formation for the laity in the Church of the third millennium and forming missionaries for the diocese of Beijing and to mark the 10th year of faith formation courses mainly for lay Catholics, a retreat organised was recently at Beijing. The themes for reflection included Prayer and Life, Contemplative Prayer, The Prayer of Taizé, considering that missionary activity stems from prayer and a profound relationship with Jesus Christ. About 100 lay Catholics took part in the retreat, most whom had taken the courses, and they shared testimony of lived charity in Christian life.
In was in the autumn of 1997 that the Catholic Seminary of Beijing saw the need to provide lay Catholics with sound catechetical, spiritual and missionary formation in response to the decree Ad Gentes issued by Vatican II. The first cycle of courses was taken by 24 students and then 50 completed the second cycle. The third cycle with 80 students from parishes all over Beijing is about to conclude. Today the most active people in the life and missionary work of the parish are men and women who have taken this course.
The archdiocese of Beijing has a community of 60,000 Catholics, assisted by 51 priests and about fifty women religious. The new Archbishop Giuseppe Li Shan whose appointment was approved by Pope Benedict XVI was installed on 21 September, the feast of Saint Matthew. (NZ) (Agenzia Fides 29/11/2007 - righe 22, parole 222)
