Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Zhou Zhi (Agenzia Fides) – More than 5,000 Chinese faithful on the mainland, from different dioceses, made a pilgrimage to the shrine dedicated to the Holy Cross, located in the district of Mei Xian, in the Diocese of Zhou Zhi, in the Province of Shaan Xi, on the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross , September 14. Being a weekday, many faithful made the pilgrimage on the previous Sunday, September 12. Fides was told by by “Faith” in He Bei that some thirty priests were made available by the diocese to meet the spiritual and pastoral needs of the many pilgrims. The faithful were thus divided among 3 churches: the St. Joseph Church, located at the foot of the mountain where the shrine stands; the church dedicated to Our Lady; and the pavilion dedicated to Jesus on the mountain top, for confessions, prayer, the recitation of the Rosary, Stations of the Cross, and Mass, beginning at 6 am. In fact, at that time the pilgrims had already filled the sanctuary and all the paths that lead up to it. In their homilies, the priests stressed the importance of Sacred Scripture, prayer, and the sign of the Cross, as "they are the fundamentals of Christian life." (NZ) (Agenzia Fides 17/09/2010)
