ASIA/CHINA - Wu An parish sends 100 lay missionaries to surrounding villages

Han Dan (Fides Service) - The parish of Wu An in the diocese of Han Dan, which has a long and glorious tradition in evangelisation, at the beginning of Lent celebrated a solemn rite to confer the missionary mandate to re-launch evangelisation especially among women and young people. After long serious preparation about 100 lay missionaries received the missionary mandate the blessing from the parish priest to carry the Gospel to non Christians. Taking advantage of Lunar New Year holiday when people return home to their native villages time until 28 February the missionaries visited 50 towns and villages organising catechetical meetings, Gospel plays and works of charity.
In 1997 Wu An parish decided to organise an annual lay Mission on the occasion of Lunar New Year festivities. Last year 66 lay missionaries visited 41 villages and as a result there were 368 baptisms. Han Dan diocese in the southern part of He Bei includes 19 civil districts and has a population of 8.3 million and a small community of 130.000 Catholics. The area was first evangelised by 16th century Jesuit missionary Fr. Matteo Ricci. The diocese has a hundred places of worship and there are 41 priests assisted by 200 women religious members of two diocesan congregations. There are also 40 seminarians. The diocese runs several dispensaries and centres for social and charity work. (NZ) (Agenzia Fides 06/03/2007 Righe: 20 Parole: 243