Agenzia Fides

Tian Jin (Agenzia Fides) - The great concert held on September 22 marked the culmination of the "third season" ("season of life", from July to September) of the celebrations for the 100th anniversary of the Diocese of Tian Jin, entitled "One Hundred Years of Grace." As reported to Fides by Faith of He Bei, a thousand faithful filled the "Grand Theatre of China" in Tian Jin for the concert, which lasted over three hours, with songs and sacred music, performed by priests, religious women and lay faithful on the theme of the Jubilee celebration. According to a priest of the diocese, the third season is the space for the evangelization of cultures. In fact, over three months, the exhibition was opened on the journey of one hundred years of the diocese, a charity auction and a seminar on religious painting were carried out. All the events were open to the public of non-Catholics, to raise awareness of the Church, the faith and the Diocese of Tian Jin. The revenue of the auction went to support projects dedicated to the most vulnerable, as a concrete gesture of the Love of Christ.
In 1847, the Gospel arrived in Tian Jin. On April 27, 1912 the Apostolic Vicariate of Tian Jin was erected and Mgr. Paul Dumond, CM, then Vicar of Beijing, was appointed the first Apostolic Vicar of Tian Jin. In 1946, the year when the China Hierarchy was established, the Vicariate became a diocese. In 1980, the church resumed all its activities. Today there are over 100 thousand faithful, 40 priests, forty Sisters of Charity, as well as a few dozen seminarians. The local Church is committed to the mission of evangelization, pastoral care, social service and charitable works. The celebrations for the centenary of the founding of the Diocese of Tian Jin were opened on January 18. The Jubilee celebration has the main theme "One Hundred Years of Grace" and is divided into four parts or seasons: the season of prayer (from January to March); the season of sharing (from April to June); the season of life (from July to September) and the season of communion (from October to December). (NZ) (Agenzia Fides 25/09/2012)