ASIA/CHINA - The month of October is a “season for missionary harvest” with the consecration of 9 new churches, diaconate ordinations, vows of religious from various dioceses

Rome (Agenzia Fides) – According to information from Agenzia Fides, the various Chines Catholic communities are intensely living this missionary month of October, which also coincides with the month of the Rosary and with the month of the harvest, in communion with the Universal Church and according to the Holy Father's indications. According to Chinese custom, this time of the year is defined as “Harvest Time,” which is also a “missionary harvest time” for the Church, through the consecration of 9 churches, diaconate ordinations, profession of perpetual or temporal vows on the continent.
The Congregation of the Holy Spirit Counselor, of the Diocese of Han Dan has welcomed five new religious. On the feast dedicated to the Patroness of the Missions, 5 novices of the Congregation took their first vows. In the Cathedral of the Diocese of Nan Ning, in the region of Guang Xi, Bishop Tan Yan Quan ordained 3 diocesan deacons. The Mass was concelebrated by some 20 priests from all over the country, as well as from Vietnam, in this missionary month. In the same Mass, 6 religious of the diocesan Congregation of the Holy Family took perpetual vows and 4 renewed their temporal vows, in the presence of 40 religious sisters from the mainland and Hong Kong and over 1,000 faithful.
The diocesan Congregation of the Little Sisters of Saint Therese, of the Diocese of An Guo of the Province of He Bei celebrated their 80th anniversary on the feast of their Patroness, along with a group of Dutch pilgrims and over 500 local faithful. The parish dedicated to Saint Therese of the Child Jesus of the district of Chang An, of the city of Hai Ning in the Province Zhe Jiang, also celebrated its 80th anniversary. It is the first Chinese church to be dedicated to the Patroness of the Missions, and the first church constructed from donations from the faithful. Today it is the most visited shrine in the Yangtze River. Thanks to a wise and courageous sister in the area, the relics of the Saint are conserved in the Shrine, where they remained even during the cultural revolution.
Lastly, the parish dedicated to the Resurrection of Jesus, in the Diocese of Zhou Cun, in the Province of Shan Dong, andthe parish of Xia Men dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary, were consecrated during this missionary month. (NZ) (Agenzia Fides 16/10/2009)