ASIA/CHINA - New Year of the Chinese Catholic community in the sign of Mercy

Monday, 8 February 2016 local churches   poverty   missionary animation  

Faith

Beijing (Agenzia Fides) - "Being a Catholic is wonderful!" This is the excitement and especially the astonishment of a woman who witnessed the visit of priests and lay people to the sick in hospital, on the eve of the Chinese New Year, which falls on February 8 and inaugurates "the year of the monkey". According to information gathered by Agenzia Fides, the Chinese Catholic community lives this event according to custom, carrying out works of charity and mercy, bringing "the peace and love of Christ" to the sick, the lonely elderly, disadvantaged and needy, thus living the Year of Mercy as recommended by the Pope.
With a temperature of 20 degrees below zero, the parish of Dong He of Bao Tou community of Inner Mongolia, began its pastoral visits on February 2, under the theme "God is Love and Mercy".
Lay Catholics made their cars available and their funding to deliver aid to the remotest basic ecclesial communities, to the poorest of the poor. In every meeting, in addition to delivering material aid, the priest of the group also administered the sacraments, giving copies of Misericordiae Vultus, the Bull of Indiction of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy.
During the visits, either in hospital or at home, to the elderly of the parish of the Holy Trinity of Jiu Jiang community, Jiang Xi Province, the priests brought the anointing of the sick and the Eucharist and prayed together with the bedridden elderly.
The parish of Fan Ga da of the diocese of Xian Xian, Bei province, donated material and spiritual aid to 31 poor families, experiencing firsthand the Year of Mercy.
Wen Zhou community instead wanted to put the spotlight on the pastoral care of university students, who are now on vacation for the Chinese New Year, to help them live the Year of Mercy. During the camp, held from 28 January to 3 February, over 230 university students "encountered Jesus in prayer and community life, in a fraternal atmosphere, as well as reflecting on ones own Christian vocation". (NZ) (Agenzia Fides 08/02/2016)


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