ASIA/CHINA-Year of the Laity: the faithful are aware of their missionary responsibility

Ba Meng (Fides Service) - "Here I am Lord, send me!": these are the words pronounced by 24 lay missionaries of the diocese of Ba Meng, in Inner Mongolia in mainland China during the rite of the missionary mandate presided by His Exc. Mgr. Mattia Du Jiang, diocesan Bishop, after 5 days of meetings on the topic of evangelization. According to what Fides learns by Faith in He Bei, this is the first meeting dedicated to Evangelization, on the occasion of the Year of the Laity, organized by the diocesan Commission for the Pastoral Care. From 4 to 8 July the active lays in the evangelization of the 7 parishes gathered to confront each other on the theme "everybody is a protagonist, sharing and exchange". According to the participants, "the Holy Spirit guided and enlightened us and allows us to improve ourselves in order to be 'sentinels of Christ'. We had the opportunity of sharing 13 issues, developing effective and constructive proposals with respect to the diocesan program on evangelization and pastoral. "Mgr. Du and his vicar attended the opening, and also presided the solemn Eucharist closing of the meeting by giving the missionary mandate. The Bishop encouraged his faithful to "be aware of their missionary responsibility". (NZ) (Agenzia Fides 13/07/2011)