ASIA/CHINA - New opportunities for communion and unity for the diocese of Baoding

Friday, 31 March 2023 local churches   mission   evangelization   bishops  

Baoding (Agenzia Fides) - After the difficult time of the pandemic, when churches were closed due to health provisions, even in the diocese of Baoding, in the Chinese province of Hebei, the daily life of the local Catholic community shows signals that indicate that it is "restarting". With the reopenings inaugurated on the occasion of the Chinese New Year, the Eucharistic liturgies celebrated on the occasion of the consecration and dedication of new churches provided an opportunity to experience and manifest communion and ecclesial unity among baptized Catholics.
This happened, for example, at the end of February, when Lent had already begun, on the occasion of the solemn liturgy celebrated for the consecration and dedication of the church of Nanhuqu. The liturgical concelebration, presided over by Monsignor Francis An Shuxin, was also attended by more than thirty priests. In the festively decorated new church, community songs were sung with the contribution of music bands from various parishes. The religious from the diocesan Congregation of the Little Sisters of Saint Teresa of Lisieux and from the diocesan Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Our Lady participated in the celebration, together with the community of faithful. They "all prayed together for the diocese to continue to move on the path of unity, communion and normality, seeking to walk united in the love of Christ", according to a statement from the diocesan office. "Let us put first - the statement continues - the good of the Church. Let us unite around the Bishop. Let us offer him our suggestions to safeguard the unity and communion of our ecclesial community of Baoding, according to the teaching of the Church and also taking into account what the Code of Canon Law indicates".
Before the beginning of Lent, Bishop An had also presided over the solemn Eucharistic celebration on the occasion of the reopening of the Shaojiazhuang parish, which had just been restored with the recovery of typical elements of Chinese architectural canons. The time that the restoration works lasted, until the first liturgical celebration in the restored church, represented a propitious occasion for the parish community to undertake a true "synodal journey" and experience fraternal communion in dealing with pastoral and missionary emergencies. The liturgical celebration was also attended by priests, nuns, parish choirs and bands from the closest Catholic communities in the area.
The local authorities also contributed from a logistical point of view to the success of the liturgical celebration, mobilizing the fire brigade and traffic control agents.
Bishop An, in his preaching, always repeated the prayer to the Lord that unity in the Church may be preserved. Twelve years ago, during the consecration of the Sui Cheng village church, the bishop stressed that "there is nothing wrong with a church being small and simple. As long as we can pray in it and celebrate the Eucharist. Above all, it is important to have a temple of God also in our hearts too, adorned with prayer and good works, if we really want to be children worthy of His name". (NZ) (Agenzia Fides, 31/3/2023)


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