ASIA/CHINA - National Catholic Collection Day: "God always gives more than we think"

Friday, 22 April 2022 local churches charity synodality

CHINA

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Rome (Agenzia Fides) - "God always gives more than we think, we just have to put his teaching into practice with love", said the head of the economic affairs of the small parish of Huangshi, located in the province of Hubei. During the pandemic, all parish expenses (maintenance, water, electricity, etc.) are paid for by parishioners without any additional income. They even ended up in the red at times, but on National Catholic Collection Day, they donated 3,500 yen (equivalent to €500). Because, says the person in charge, "the deep faith and the teaching of Jesus gave us this conviction: God always gives more than what we think".
Like them, the Catholic faithful in mainland China and abroad responded with great enthusiasm, as every year, to the Catholic community's "National Collection Day for the Victims of Natural Disasters", held on Palm Sunday, which also saw the method of collection evolve, through wechat, electronic transfers... (see Fides, 5/4/2022). According to the first information received by Agenzia Fides, this initiative was shared by the 90-year-old elderly worker who emigrated abroad, from the large parishes still active in charitable works to the small basic ecclesial community: their generosity was motivated by deep faith and a sense of communion.
Like every year, a 90-year-old believer from Mianzhu community in Sichuan province saved ¥5,000 (equivalent to €700) from his modest pension to support Jinde Charites charities. A Catholic working in Congo sent his contribution to Jinde Charites "so that, through Jinde's charity platform, everyone can rejoice in the resurrection of Jesus". His donation of ¥2,000 (equivalent to €300) has already been given to a student and a seriously ill person.
The Bishop of Yanzhou (Shandong), Mgr John Lü Peisen, encouraged the diocese's participation in this day with a message on wechat: "We have often been helped by others. But our gift goes beyond a simple reciprocity, or of a Christian duty, but it is a communication of charity, a transmission of the message of the Gospel, living the communion of the Church. A Church which walks together on the path of synodality". (NZ) (Agenzia Fides, 22/4/2022)