Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Shanghai (Agenzia Fides) - “A good weekend: enrich our spiritual life in order to always have a heart interested in the nation, the Church, and the mission of evangelization,” was the theme for the spiritual retreat taken by 73 religious sisters of the Diocesan Congregation of Shang Hai of the Presentation of Our Lady, held in the Shrine of Our Lady of She Shan just several days ago. Fr. Fei Ji Sheng, of the Diocese of Liao Ning, with a rich experience in spiritual direction, presented the spirituality of the mission today in an atmosphere of great serenity and fraternity, highlighting “the duty of religious to transform the world with God's Love, to go forth on the mission as Jesus has commanded us.”
On the last day of the retreat, the Sisters went on a mission without taking anything with them. During their conversation time in the evening, all of them shared their amazing experiences. They all remarked “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring (the) good news!” (Rm 10:15). At the end of the retreat, 4 Sisters were sent on a mission to help lepers in the Province of Yun Nan.
The Congregation of Sisters of Our Lady's Presentation, of the Diocese of Shanghai, began in 1855 thanks to the Jesuits and was the first female national (Chinese) congregation in the Diocese of Shanghai. Officially approved by the Bishop of Jiang Nan, which then included the ecclesial jurisdiction of Shanghai, in 1867, they opened their first house in 1867 and on September 8 of the same year admitted the first 33 novices into the Congregation. The first three sisters took their vows in 1873. From that moment, until 1949, the congregation has formed 489 sisters from China. At that time, various feminine congregations from other countries began arriving in Shanghai for the missions in the large cities. The Sisters of the Presentation of Our Lady, formed by French sisters, took their mission out to the countryside, to the rural areas. After the cultural revolution in China, the Congregation was reborn. The elderly religious began sustaining themselves, in 1978, on making cassocks and liturgical garments and hosts for the Eucharist. Obviously, they have never abandoned their primary mission: catechesis. In May 1985, they took up the name of Congregation of the Presentation of Our Lady, admitting new vocations. The first General Chapter after their new beginning took place in August 1998. Today there are nearly 100 Sisters, that work in dioceses in various areas: a publishing house, a residence for the elderly, a center for formation, and pastoral work in the parishes. Their story reflects that of many Chinese congregations and the contemporary story of consecrated life. (NZ) (Agenzia Fides 28/09/2009)
