Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Beijing (Agenzia Fides) – According to information received by Agenzia Fides, the first days of the New Year 2010 and the solemn celebration of Epiphany, were marked in many Chinese Catholic communities by a renewed missionary effort, in some cases also expressed by an explicit missionary mandate. In the parish of Fu Shun, Diocese of Liao Ning, where the celebration of Epiphany was on Sunday, January 3, about eighty group leaders and lay catechists received a mission mandate during the solemn Eucharist, so that they may be the primary collaborators of the priests in the ministry and mission of the Church. Today, the parish has set up 47 centers for prayer and family gathering to live and spread the Gospel.
To relaunch evangelization in the New Year, on January 4-9, over 90 lay people active in the life of parishes and ecclesial base communities of the Diocese of Xing Tai in the Province of He Bei, took part in a meeting on evangelization held at the Diocesan Pastoral Center. To gain a bit of experience, during the encounter, groups comprised of 7 persons were sent into the villages to evangelize.
In the parish of Yi Nan in the Diocese of Lin Yi, in the Province of Shan Dong, the Seminar on Evangelization was held Sunday, January 10th, the day of the diocesan celebration of the Solemnity of the Epiphany. On this occasion, in addition to officially launch the missionary activity of the New Year, the 26 group leaders shared their experiences of evangelization in 2009 and presented the concrete plan for 2010. The “Best Evangelists” of the year also received prizes. (NZ) (Agenzia Fides 13/01/2010)
