ASIA/TAIWAN - For the Year of St. Paul, the Diocese of Tainan will make a pilgrimage to the parish dedicated to Saint Paul, which holds an image of the Apostle in the native dress of the Pai Wan

Tainan (Agenzia Fides) – Over 160 faithful of the Diocese of Tainan recently participated in a pilgrimage to the Parish of Saint Paul in the Diocese of Kaohsiung. It was one of the many initiatives in the calendar of the diocesan celebrations for the Year of St. Paul. The Parish of Saint Paul, whom the Holy Father has described as “the greatest missionary of all times,” is located in an area with a large concentration of native people. Thus, among the decorations in the church, there are also statues of Our Lady and Saint Paul, wearing the native dress of the Pai Wan people, the most common ethnic group in the area.
The parish pastor is an Indian priest named Fr. John Luis Bisonni, which is yet another proof of the missionary spirit of St. Paul that is alive in the local Catholic community. During the homily and the meditation, the priests spoke on the meaning of the Year of St. Paul and the importance of the mission and evangelization...and at the end, Monsignor Joseph Siao, the leader and spiritual director of the pilgrimage, addressed the faithful, saying: “Be fishermen according to the Lord's command! In response to today's world, which is showing signs of crisis in so many ways, simply by placing our trust in the Lord we can find peace - whether it be interior or exterior - in facing life. It is also necessary that we transmit this peace to everyone. As St. Paul says, 'woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel.'” (NZ) (Agenzia Fides 22/1/2009)