Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Shi Jia Zhuang (Agenzia Fides) – The celebration of the Epiphany in the mainland Chinese Catholic community has been characterized by a strong missionary dimension, in the sign of evangelisation and by the collection of missionary fruits. According to information that Faith of He Bei provided to Fides, numerous communities solemnly celebrated the Epiphany both on 6 January and on the following Sunday, 9 January, according to the pastoral needs of the faithful.
The parish of Yong Qiang in the diocese of Wen Zhou, administered the sacraments of Christian initiation to 47 catechumenates on 6 January. According to the parish priest, “it is a good start and omen for the new year and for the mission of evangelisation”. The priest also encouraged these new “sentinels of Christ” to be courageous, to “assume and transmit the healthy tradition of fertile vocations in the parish, through the catechism and formation”. The parish of Yong Qiang consists of more than 10,000 faithful and 22 churches. In recent years this community has given various priests and dozens of religious sisters to the Church. To respond to the needs of the faithful, the parish of Lin Yi in the province of Shan Dong celebrated the solemnity of the Epiphany on 9 January. The priest that presided over Holy Mass recalled the importance of the Christian identity of all, because through the manifestation of our Christian identity we continue to introduce Christ to others, inviting them to follow him and imitate him. (NZ) (Agenzia Fides 11/01/2011)
