Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Beijing (Agenzia Fides) – Many spiritual activities are being planned for this month of June, the month of the Sacred Heart, in view of the closure of the Year for Priests. This year, the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus falls on June 11. On the mainland, devotion to the Sacred Heart is very widespread among the Catholics.
According to information received by Fides, the Lay Association of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the parish of Dong Tan, in the Diocese of Zhi Zhou, in the Province of Shaan Xi, has held a spiritual retreat on the theme: "Deus Caritas Est." The participants shared and meditated together the precious gift of Himself that Jesus offered on the Cross. During two hours of Eucharistic adoration, they expressed their devotion to the Sacred Heart, praying for it to spread throughout China, offering their prayers for the unity of the Church in China.
In recent days, the small Catholic community of Hai Kou, capital of the Province of Hai Nan, with over 8 million inhabitants, of which only 6,000 are Catholics, blessed the foundation stone of the new church dedicated to the Sacred Heart. There is now only a small chapel, which had been a Protestant church and which can fit two hundred people and is located in a remote, deserted area. Now this community, composed mostly of migrant workers, has hopes of finally living the faith in a church worthy of this name.
The Association of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the Diocese of Ji Lin celebrated its second anniversary in the month dedicated to the Sacred Heart with a novena and a meeting presenting the report of work done so far. The participants confirmed their commitment to serving the needy in the spirit of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
The Diocese of Ji Nan last year celebrated the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus with the opening of the Year for Priests, in communion with the universal Church, and now the diocese is preparing a similar celebration of closure, also according to the indications of the Holy Father. (NZ) (Agenzia Fides 09/06/2010)
