Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
San Yuan (Agenzia Fides) – Over 2,000 faithful attended the recent dedication of the church of Tao Li dedicated to St. Luigi Gonzaga, which is in the Diocese of San Yuan, in the Shaan Xi Province. According to local sources contacted by the Fides, Bishop Zong Huai De of the Diocese of San Yuan presided over the ceremony, along with the pastor and 7 other priests who were concelebrating. Some twenty religious of the Congregation of the Sacred Heart of Mary and of the Congregation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus have taken part in the celebration. The consecration of the church is a "dream finally realized," said the priest, Fr. Ma Yong Lu. The first stone of the church was laid in 2003, but for lack of funds, work was completed only in 2009. Today "we wanted a sober and solemn consecration in the liturgical sense, but not in the material - said the pastor - because we should take into consideration the efforts made by our faithful, who gave up even what was necessary for the sake of the mission."
The Parish of Tao Li, dedicated to St. Luigi Gonzaga, is a rural church and is formed by a very active community. It also runs a clinic that has helped many people in the village to find health services. At the same time, the Christian community has witnessed to the faith by preaching the Gospel with concrete acts of charity. The Diocese of San Yuan, originally a mission of Italian Franciscans, now has over 40,000 people with about forty open churches and 12 places of worship. Thirty-eighty priests and nuns are engaged in pastoral service in the diocese. (NZ) (Agenzia Fides 23/03/2010)
