ASIA/CHINA - Consecration of the parish church of Qi Zi Shan, Diocese of Tai Yuan

Tai Yuan (Agenzia Fides) – Hundreds of faithful of the village of Qi Zi Shan, in the Diocese of Tai Yuan, took part in the Solemn Consecration for the new church. Bishop Li Jian Tang presided the act, along with 18 priests concelebrating. The first church in the area was built 130 years ago. Today the village is entirely Catholic.
The Diocese of Tai Yuan is located in the province of Shan Xi and has a long and glorious history of evangelization, with many heroic martyrs, beginning with the first Bishop Gregorio Grassi, OFM. It was evangelized by the famous Jesuit, companion of Fr. Matteo Ricci, Fr. Giulio Aleni in 1620. He was followed by Belgian Jesuit Alphonsus A. Vagnoni, known as “the Apostle of Shan Xi.” In 1890, a diocese was erected, with the first Bishop (Italian) Gregorio Grassi, who died a martyr in 1900. Today, the diocese has 27 churches, 90 places of prayer and missionary stations, 50 priests, 30 religious sisters, and nearly 80,000 faithful. Two Bishops, along with 24 priests, religious, and laity of the Diocese were canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2000. They were beatified in 1946. (NZ) (Agenzia Fides 26/9/2008)