Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Tai Pei (Agenzia Fides) - "We pay tribute and thank those missionaries who, with prophetic spirit, truly love with all their heart Taiwan and the entire Church, and look to the real needs of Taiwan": said His Exc. Mgr. John Hung Shan Chuan, SVD, Archbishop of Tai Pei and President of the Regional Episcopal Conference of Taiwan, who expressed his gratitude on behalf of the Church of Taiwan, to the missionaries of the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, known as the missionaries of Scheut, who celebrated the 150th anniversary on Nov. 25. Cardinal Paul Shan, Bishop emeritus of Kaohsiung, and Bishops fromTaiwan, together with over one thousand faithful celebrated the big anniversary day, with a dozen missionaries of Scheut of the community in Tai Pei, retracing their service in Taiwan. During the celebration, there was the renewal of the missionaries vows, under the guidance of Fr. Frans De Ridder, CICM Provincial Superior of the Province China-Mongolia. With the solemn procession in which the Cross, Sacred Scripture, the globe, flowers and candles were brought, the missionaries wanted to stress the commitment to continue their mission of bringing God's Love in the world.
The Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary was established in 1862 in Scheut, on the outskirts of Brussels, by the Belgian priest Father Theofiel Verbist (1823-1868), mainly driven by a Marian spirituality. The religious are often called the Missionaries of Scheut. In August 1865 the Founder, along with three other men religious, went to Siwantze (today the District of Chong Li, in the He Bei Province) in Mongolia. The harsh climate, the population scattered over vast territories and countless difficulties put a strain on the faith of the Father and his collaborators. On 23 February 1868, while traveling on a mission, Fr. Verbist fell ill and died. According to the statistics of the community in Taiwan, in 2010 there were 938 members of the Congregation scattered in 28 countries around the world. They are also very active in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Mongolia, Singapore, Indonesia .... In Taiwan, the missionaries of Scheut have been present since 1955 in the field of evangelization, education, health care, social service and pastoral life. (NZ) (Agenzia Fides 03/12/2011)
