Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Ningbo (Fides Service) - A Bishop who took to heart and put into practise the indications of the Second Vatican Council. This is how Chinese Catholics remember Bishop Michael He Jinmin of Ningbo diocese in the mainland province of Zhejiang who died on 4 May at the age of 87 after struggling with cancer of the liver for two years .
The Bishop, born in 1917, was ordained a Bishop on 14 January 2000. He was a seminarian in Shanghai until 1958. He was persecuted and spent 20 years in prison and labour camps. In 1985, he returned to Shanghai seminary and 6 months later he was ordained a priest and appointed parish priest at Ningbo Sacred Heart cathedral. Later he was appointed diocesan administrator and at 83 years he was made Bishop of Ningbo.
He kept up with the times taking the teachings of Vatican II as his inspiration. He is remembered for his enthusiasm and zeal. In his last four years he organised no less than three diocesan Meetings for Evangelisation. He encourage the formation of Bible groups and continually remind his people that all the baptised are responsible fort he proclamation of the Gospel.
Bishop He was the first Bishop of Ningbo, when the church was reopened in the early 1980s. The diocese is flourishing in vocations to the priesthood and the religious life. There are 13 young priests and 40 Sisters of the diocesan Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Souls. There are 17 major seminarians. The Catholics are 25,000 twice as many as in 1980 with an annual growth of 3%, thanks to constant and increasing pastoral activity and evangelisation work.
Ningbo, a port city with historic and tourist attractions, has a population of 250,000. It dates to the times of the Tang dynasty and has always attracted foreign visitors. Testimony of visitors to Ningbo and their impression of the highly respected local Christian community are always positive: “The faithful are fervent and active and it is wonderful to see how the tradition of family prayer has been handed down”, a local source told Fides.
Bishop He Jinmin, enthusiastic evangeliser to the very end was laid to rest on 7 May. His funeral was celebrated by coadjutor Bishop Matthew Hu Xiande.
(Agenzia Fides 1/07/2004 Lines: 27 Words: 274)
