ASIA/CHINA - Funeral of Bishop Agostino Zhao Jing-Nong

Tianshui (Fides) - Bishop Agostino Zhao Jing-Nong died at the age of 95 on 16 May at Tianshui, in Gansu Province. His funeral was held on Monday 24 May in Tianshui Cathedral where he was buried. The Bishop, seriously ill for some years, had not left his residence since 1993.
Agostino Zhao Jing-Nong was born 29 June 1909. He was ordained in 1937 and appointed Administrator of Tianshui diocese in 1951.
Condemned in 1966 to 15 years in prison he was released in1979 at the age of 70 after 13 years in prisons in Tianshui and in Qinghai.
In the first ten years of his ministry he made several requests to different government offices for the restitution of Church property confiscated during the Cultural Revolution. He worked hard to encourage the people in their faith. He opened a minor seminary and because Tianshui Cathedral dedicated to Saint Theresa had been made into apartments he built a new one where now he is laid to rest.
Tianshui diocese has about 10,000 Catholics half in rural areas and the other half in the city. There are 20 priests, 15 women religious and eight seminarians.
Bishop Agostino Zhao was known to all as a good and just man. His priests said the only time he put down his rosary was when he stopped to take a frugal meal. (Agenzia Fides 31/5/2004 - Righe 19; Parole 256)