Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Hong Kong (Agenzia Fides) – The Diocese of Hong Kong has officially launched the Catholic Church Reconstruction Fund, for churches destroyed in Si Chuan earthquake, in collaboration with religious from the Paris Foreign Missions Society (MEP) of Hong Kong. According to a report from the Kong Ko Bao, the Chinese version of the diocesan bulletin, up until the end of 2009 all the faithful are invited to offer a contribution for the reconstruction of churches in Si Chuan that were destroyed in the tremendous earthquake on May 12, 2008 that claimed the lives of nearly 80,000 people.
According to information from the Diocese of Cheng Du, capital of Si Chuan, of the 59 churches of the Diocesis, 22 are severely damaged and 25 completely destroyed, and new ones need to be built. The “Fund” has precisely this objective: reestablish the number of churches that there were before the quake.
Moreover, the area of Si Chuan was a mission of the MEP priests. They had also built many of the churches, among which is the famous Bai Lu College with the famous Church of Bai Lu, destroyed by the earthquake in 8 seconds. According to Fr. B. Lepeu, MEP, “we are making a real effort to rebuild the churches. We are seeking aid in order to gather the necessary funding to rebuild and restore the churches themselves and restore them to the community.” (NZ) (Agenzia Fides 25/2/2009)
