ASIA/CHINA - With the prayer to Our Lady of She Shan, Chinese Catholics accompany the Holy Father on his trip to Lourdes; handcrafted wooden statue of the Blessed Mother dedicated to the Pope

Beijing (Agenzia Fides) – Catholics in China do not cease to pray in spiritual communion with the Holy Father and accompany him in his intentions. During the next few days, Chinese Catholics hope to accompany the Holy Father on his trip to Lourdes (September 12-15) through the prayer to Our Lady of She Shan. They have already dedicated a statue of Our Lady of She Shan to the Pope. The statue was handcrafted in wood by a famous Chinese artist, as a sign of their gratitude for the love and attention he has always shown towards the Chinese Catholics, especially in composing a prayer for the World Day of Prayer for the Church in China. In light of the Pope’s journey to Lourdes, Chinese Catholics hope to show their devotion to Our Lady of Lourdes and their closeness and fidelity to the Holy Father, through a more fervent and frequent recitation of this prayer.
According to the Chinese people, the prayer to Our Lady of She Shan, venerated with the title “Help of Christians,” written by the Holy Father himself, is now among the most prayed by the faithful: “In the statue overlooking the Shrine you lift your Son on high, offering him to the world with open arms in a gesture of love. Help Catholics always to be credible witnesses to this love, ever clinging to the rock of Peter on which the Church is built.”
Following the publication of the prayer to Our Lady of She Shan written by Benedict XVI and the celebration of the first World Day of Prayer for the Church in China, on May 24, which had the Shrine to Our Lady of She Shan as its reference point, the Chinese Catholics have expressed their sincerest gratitude to the Holy Father for such a precious gift to Chinese culture and history. And with this spirit, they have asked the famous Huang Yang wood craftsman, Mr. Wang, to carve a statue of Our Lady of She Shan in Huang Yang wood, dedicated to the Holy Father Benedict XVI. Huang Yang wood is a very fine wood (named “the Lord of all wood”). It takes nearly 400 years for a Huang Yang tree to grow 20 cm in diameter. The use of Huang Yang woodcarving dates back to before the 1300s. (NZ) (Agenzia Fides 11/9/2008)