Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Changzhi (Agenzia Fides) - "I have always advised all the faithful to remain discreet and humble. But today I would like to praise out loud and with pride, in front of everyone, this Catholic father who not only consecrated his life to the Lord with faith but who offered him his three sons who are priests and he is the only one in our diocese". It is in these terms that the bishop of Changzhi, province of Shanxi, Peter Ding Lingbin, addressed the assembly of the faithful, priests and nuns gathered for the funeral mass celebrated on June 5, month dedicated to the Sacred Heart, in memory of Father Gao Huqing of the diocese of Baoding. The bishop of the diocese of Baoding, Hebei province, and the bishop of Hankou/Wuhan, Hubei province, dioceses where the three priests serve, concelebrated the funeral mass with the ordinary of Changzhi.
According to a survey conducted by Faith until January 2010, there were more than 320 "multi-vocational" families in the country with a total of 693 bishops, priests, religious men and women consecrated in 69 dioceses in 25 provinces, cities, autonomous regions and municipalities.
Among them, a family consecrated two priests and three nuns to the Lord. Four families gave four vocations; two others offered their three sons. Four families consecrated three priestly vocations like this in Changzhi by respectively offering to the Catholic Church Father Gao Huqing, Father Antonio Gao Ruihu of the Diocese of Changzhi and Father Francis Gao Ruiqing of the Diocese of Hankou/Wuhan.
The 2010 survey - the Year for Priests announced by Pope Benedict XVI (June 19, 2009 to June 11, 2010) on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the death of Saint Jean-Marie Baptiste Vianney, the patron saint of parish priests - showed that despite the crisis in vocations and professional training due to the one-child policy, secularization and the irregularities of basic community life, many Catholic families generously gave their children to the Church. Often even their only son. This phenomenon reflects a deep faith and love for the Lord, as well as a strong attachment to the Church. The survey revealed an unexpected number of families with multiple vocations, in a particular context where many priests and nuns serve in regions other than their region of origin. Faith's objective was "to encourage the faithful to follow the example of these generous families, starting with their own, to become aware of the importance of vocational formation and to promote vocations during the Year for Priests". (NZ) (Agenzia Fides, 4/7/2024)
