Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Ji Lin (Agenzia Fides) – Social service as an instrument in evangelization; the role of every member of the Church; reflection on the 4 Constitutions of the II Vatican Council, were the main themes of the first Evangelization Congress 2009 of the Diocese of Ji Lin, which took place on June 29 – July 1. During the Congress, an assessment was made of the Year of St. Paul and the missionary program for the Year for Priests was made public. The main focus was on the evangelizing role of the diocesan magazine, the diocesan website, the Service Center, etc., because every element of the community, as small as it may be, can become a powerful instrument of evangelization, in harmony with the others. The Rector of the Seminary gave a speech in which he explained the modern relevance of the 4 Constitutions of the Second Vatican Council. The priests, religious, and laity discussed the theme of Christian formation for all members of the community.
The evangelization of the Diocese of Ji Lin began in 1840, thanks to the MEP (Paris Foreign Missions Society) missionaries. The Latin Rite Seminary was founded in 1844 for the formation of Chinese priests. Soon afterm the Congregation of the Sacred Heart of Our Lady was begun for the formation of Chinese religious sisters. According to statistics, updated on December 24, 2008, today the diocese is formed by over 70,000 faithful, a Bishop (who died on July 19, 2009), 60 priests, 2 deacons, 11 students studying outside the country (7 priests, 2 deacons), a brother, 18 major seminarians, 9 minor seminarians, 83 religious of the Congregation of the Holy Family, 3 female novices, and a postulant. The diocese also has 41 parishes, with 10 Commissions (Pastoral, Liturgy, Vocations, Social Services, Moral and Legal Affairs, Economy, Counseling, Formation...). The Diocese publishes a magazine, 5 Homes for the Elderly, 3 day-cares, 2 clinics, and a House for Charity. The Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes is the only large Marian shrine in the northeastern part of the continent and every September 8, tens of thousands of faithful from all over the country come to visit it. (NZ) (Agenzia Fides 22/7/2009)
