Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Tang Shan (Agenzia Fides) - To nourish the mission spirit born of the 1st Asian Mission Congress, the 3rd Meeting of Overseas Chinese Catholics and a Seminar on Priesthood, Evangelisation and Media promoted by Faith bulletin, Catholics in the diocese of Tang Shan (Yong Ping), He Bei province are intensifying preparations for the 2nd Diocesan Mission Congress in November 2007 on the theme “Go out to the whole world and preach the Gospel to every Creature (Mk 16,15)”. The first preparation session was held on Sunday 10 December with reflection on “Come and See” given by Rev. Dong Zhi Yuan, who illustrated the spirit of the Congress. The second preparation session on Sunday 17 will focus on “Building the Church Together” to present the Congress programme and encourage parishes and individual Catholics to take part. Session 3 on 24 December will reflect on the theme “Let us go out to the World” to foster sharing of pastoral and missionary experience and striving to live the Gospel in order to bear witness to Christ.
On 10December participants of 11 parishes listened to reports on the 1st Asian Mission Congress, the 3rd Meeting for Overseas Chinese Catholics and the Seminar on “Priesthood, evangelisation and media”. The diocesan Bishop said “Vatican II, our beloved John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI all teach us that the Church is missionary by nature and that being a Catholic means shouldering responsibility for evangelisation. A good Catholic must participate in the Eucharist, the daily bread of Christians, and then live the Gospel in daily life so as to be a living witness. The third thing is evangelisation”. Participants said with enthusiasm: “this is a springtime of the Church we must act”. Agreeing that “action is better than a slogan the participants promised to make a special effort to spread the Gospel among relations and friends in the period of Chinese New Year festivities”.
The diocese of Tang Shan (Yong Ping) began as a mission opened by Lazarist Fathers from Holland. Until 1899 it was part of the Apostolic Vicariate of He Bei Est. It was made a diocese in 1946, the year in which the Chinese hierarchy was established. The diocese has a community of 45,000 Catholics assisted by 34 priests, 50 Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception of Mary and it runs a Home for the Elderly and a Clinic. Church structures suffered severe damage in an earthquake in 1976 which devastated the city. In recent years 28 new churches have been built. (NZ) (Agenzia Fides 15/12/2006 Righe: 37 Parole: 486)
