ASIA/CHINA - Chinese Catholic communities participate in Jubilee pilgrimages and Lenten retreats to ask for the gift of communion

Tuesday, 1 April 2025 local churches jubilee pilgrimages pastorqal conversion

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Beijing (Agenzia Fides) - Pilgrimages, spiritual retreats, and prayers for the gift of communion and reconciliation characterized the liturgical celebrations of the Fourth Sunday of Lent, “Laetare Sunday” in many Catholic communities on the Chinese mainland.

From March 24 to 28, priests and nuns from the Diocese of Hankou/Wuhan participated in a spiritual retreat focused on the spirituality of communion. The diocese's Bishop, Francis Cui Qingqi, also participated in the retreat. Father Duan Yongkun, Vicar of the Diocese of Bamen, reminded participants of the importance of the Word of God, the Magisterium of the Church, and sacramental and pastoral life, which he described as the three "pillars" of ecclesial communion. Bishop Cui said that spirituality is the most important part of the diocesan educational program for both clergy and laity, as is the theme of communion. At the same time, Bishop Cui recalled the special responsibility of religious sisters and priests in proclaiming the Gospel.

In Shanghai, priests and sisters, together with Bishop Joseph Shen Bin, visited the diocese's Jubilee churches as "Pilgrims of Hope." Bishop Shen Bin urged everyone to "pay greater attention to the growth of spiritual life and zeal for proclaiming the Gospel, and to accept the tasks entrusted to each one by the Lord."

A total of 150 Catholics from the Diocese of Hangzhou participated in a retreat on the theme of the Holy Year. Father Li Rongpin of the Jinde Charitable Foundation retraced the history of the Jubilees and suggested a missionary reading of the Papal Bull "Spes non confundit," which proclaimed the current Jubilee.

Bishop Antonio Yao Shun of the Diocese of Jining in Inner Mongolia presided over the spiritual rite for the priests of the Diocese of Xiamen from March 24 to 28. During the five-day retreat, all the priests prayed that Jesus would protect and revitalize their priestly vocation.

The Diocese of Wenzhou, Xuzhou, and parishes in Jiangxi Province also held spiritual retreats on the fourth Sunday of Lent. (NZ) (Agenzia Fides, 1/4/2025)