Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Beijing (Agenzia Fides) - With a solemn Mass celebrated on January 18 in the parish dedicated to Mercy, the celebrations for the centenary of the founding of the Diocese of Tian Jin opened. On April 27, 1912 the Apostolic Vicariate of Tian Jin was erected. According to information gathered by Fides, 17 diocesan priests concelebrated the Eucharist to launch the Year of celebration in this church, small but highly significant as it is where the origin of the Catholic community of Tian Jin begins. The Jubilee has the main theme of "One Hundred Years of Grace": prayer, sharing and communion distinguish in fact the hundred years of evangelism. The celebration is divided into four parts or seasons: the season of prayer (from January to March); the season of sharing (from April to June); the season of life (from July to September) and the season of communion (from October to December).
According to information from the diocese, in 1847 the Gospel came to Tian Jin; in 1861 Mgr. Joseph Moul-Martial, CM, Archbishop of Khanbalik (Dadu, now Beijing) sent the Lazarist missionaries and the Sisters of Charity to evangelize the area . In 1869 the first church dedicated to Our Lady of Victory was built. On 21 June 1870, with the outbreak of persecution, two priests and ten nuns were killed and the church was burned. In 1900 the Catholic community was heavily hit during the Boxer War. But after the storm Catholics increased significantly, up to 30 000. On April 27, 1912 the Apostolic Vicariate of Tian Jin was erected and Mgr. Paul Dumond, CM, then Vicar of Beijing, was appointed the first Apostolic Vicar of Tian Jin. In 1946, the year when the Chinese Hierarchy was established, the Vicariate became a diocese. In 1980 the church resumed all its activities. Today there are over 100 thousand faithful, 40 priests, about 40 Sisters of Charity, plus a few dozen seminarians. The local Church is committed to the mission of evangelization, pastoral, social service and charitable works. (NZ) (Agenzia Fides 23/01/2012)
