ASIA/CHINA - Religious vows ceremonies in several Chinese orders

Beijing (Agenzia Fides) – In recent days, religious from several congregations on the Chinese mainland took temporary or perpetual vows, according to information gathered by Fides. Two religious of the Congregation of Our Lady of Good Counsel of the Diocese of Heng Shi, in the He Bei Province, took their first temporary vows and another four of their sisters renewed their vows on the same occasion. The liturgy was presided by Bishop Peter Feng Xin Mao and concelebrated by 23 priests, with the participation of some forty religious sisters of the same religious congregation and hundreds of faithful.
The novices of the Congregation of Divine Love of the Diocese of Lin Yi, in the Province of Shan Dong, took their first vows. Bishop Fang Xing Yao, the Bishop of the diocese who presided over the liturgy, stressed the importance of vocations to the consecrated life and urged the religious to always remember the promises made to "Jesus their spouse," to always be worthy of this name. Sister Teresa Wang Jian Xia, of the Congregation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the Diocese of Da Tong in the Province of Shan Xi made her vows on June 24, the feast of the Birth of St. John the Baptist. (NZ) (Agenzia Fides 10/07/2010)