Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Shijiazhuang (Agenzia Fides) - As in the past eight years, this year, at the end of the Lenten season many Chinese Catholics took part in the National Collection Day, an initiative promoted by Jinde Charites, the organization that been coordinating charitable works supported by Catholic communities in mainland China for almost 27 years. And this year too, the first published data on donations collected is encouraging. The collection, which traditionally culminates on Palm Sunday, raises funds largely destined for relief efforts in areas affected by disasters and social emergencies. According to information collected by Fides, the Beijing diocese has raised a total of around 169,286 yuan (equivalent to 21,620 euros), and significant signs have also come from dioceses in less economically prosperous areas. For example, from the provinces of Jiangsu, Shanxi (where 17,973 yuan were received), Guizhou and Shandong (where 20,000 yuan were collected).
As of April 8, the Shanghai diocese alone, where the Mercy Sunday collection was held, had collected around 530,000 yuan from parishes and nursing homes. "The practice of the collection," said the Bishop of Shanghai, Joseph Shen Bin, "indicates the path to sanctification, it is moved by love for God which is manifested in the love of people". The collection to collect funds for the benefit of those in need has always been supported by the Catholic communities throughout China with great willingness to donate, also thanks to the possibility of being able to monitor the use of the donations collected over the years with the highest level of transparency. The projects funded also include the relief initiatives supported following floods and earthquakes in various parts of China, as well as the Hualien earthquake in Taiwan, the volcanic eruption in Guatemala and the tsunami in Indonesia in 2018. (NZ) (Agenzia Fides, 11/4/2024)
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