ASIA/CHINA - Missionary spirit of St. Paul was the theme of the Third Theological Seminar on the Year of St. Paul in the Diocese of Nan Chong

Nan Chong (Agenzia Fides) – The Third Theological Seminar of the Year of St. Paul, organized by the Diocese of Nan Chong took place in the district of Da Zhou in recent days, on the theme: “The Missionary Spirit of St. Paul.” Over 100 priests, religious, and faithful came from all over the diocese to meditate on the letters written by the Apostle par excellence, linking them to the modern-day diocesan situation. During the Mass, the Lord's protection was called down upon the dioceses, so that the divine grace and the power of the Word of God may help the people to relaunch their pastoral, charitable, formational, and social service commitments once again.
The Diocese of Nan Chong, of the Province of Si Chuan, the area hit by the violent earthquake on May 12, 2008, continues living the itinerary established for the Year of St. Paul, in spite of the difficulties of the aftermath. As soon as the Holy Father declared the Year of St. Paul, the diocese immediately began preparing a pastoral program for living the Jubilee Year, with a calendar for reading the texts of St. Paul in four stages between August 2008 – April 2009: Pauline theology (August), Letters of St. Paul (October), missionary spirit of St. Paul (January 2009), and the missionary method and meditation (April 2009).
Since 1746, the people of the current Diocese of Nan Chong have known the Gospel. In 1930, it became an Apostolic Vicariate, and in 1946, the year that the Hierarchy was established in China, the Diocese was erected. Today, the Diocese has over 80,000 faithful, 15 priests, 11 major seminarians, 25 religious sisters of a diocesan congregation, and 45 churches and 28 sites for prayer. (NZ) (Agenzia Fides 28/1/2009)