ASIA/CHINA - Missionary month as a sign of charity and pilgrimage

Rome (Agenzia Fides) – In addition to the consecration of churches, deaconate ordinations, and perpetual and temporal vows of religious, which we reported on in recent days (see Fides 16/10/2009), charitable works and pilgrimages are also characterizing the missionary month (and month of the Rosary) among Chinese Catholics.
According to information released to Agenzia Fides, the parish of Xi Ning of the Diocese of Qing Hai, led by the parish pastor and several religious, organized three days of communion and solidarity with the theme “Walking in Love.” They visited the rest home and poor families – both Catholic and non – and then participated in a roundtable discussion on St. Paul's 13th chapter from the First Letter to the Corinthians, on charity. In the Cathedral of the Diocese of Yi Bin, as well, they brought the Love of Christ to the “least of the brethren,” to the rest home for the elderly.
Various dioceses in the Province of Shan Xi practice Christ's commandment of love in a very concrete manner, helping citizens in difficulty because of the harvest. In fact, although they are in full harvest season, many families do not have enough workers. Thus, the Catholics went out to the different towns, to help the elderly, the sick, and the poor in the harvest. According to a priest from the Diocese of Tai Yuan, “this is how we are living the missionary month, in our situation, in communion with the universal Church and with the Pope.”
The parish of Xing Ping of the Province of Shan Xi and the youth of the Diocese of Yi Chang of the Province of Hu Bei, have led a youth pilgrimage to shrines dedicated to the Holy Cross and Our Lady of She Shan. In this manner, as one of the priest leaders of the pilgrimage explained, “they express thir ecclesial communion in assuming their missionary responsibility.”
The religious who give their lives to help the lepers of the Province of Yun Nan have been visited and thanked by several local businesses. According to the Sisters, “this is how we have gathered our missionary fruits in this missionary month.” (NZ) (Agenzia Fides 19/10/2009)