Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Beijing (Agenzia Fides) – Following in the footsteps of the great female figures present in the Sacred Scripture, Catholic women continue to play an indispensable role in the life of the Church, the family, and society. And the Church "gives thanks for the witness of faith, hope, and love that women give: mothers, grandmothers, wives, daughters, sisters," said Father Joseph Xu during Mass at Sanbei Parish (Diocese of Ningbo) this Sunday (March 8), which also marks International Women's Day. The priest praised the role of wives and mothers who "care for their families with the love and tenderness of Christ, responsibly fulfill their duties," and also pass on the gift of faith to others, beginning with their children. The Church community, the priest continued, needs the direct and active involvement of women in the pastoral initiatives of parishes and in the proclamation of the Gospel. It is the women who support and accompany the growth of the Catholic community in China and, with their Christian sense of responsibility, contribute to the well-being of society as a whole, “by praising God and doing good to their neighbors.”
In the parish of Jiujiang in Jiangxi Province, the women of the parish community also celebrated International Women’s Day together by attending Holy Mass on the third Sunday of Lent. In his homily on the day’s Gospel reading, Father Pang Rui recalled that “faith is a free gift from God” and that during Lent one should “live in a spirit of conversion” and bear witness to the Gospel in daily life, as many do “with a faith that is both gentle and steadfast.”
As a sign of gratitude, the parish priest presented carnations to the women present on behalf of the community. Flowers were also presented to the volunteers, nuns, and lay women who are actively involved in pastoral care at the Xujiahui community, within the Cathedral of St. Ignatius of Loyola in Shanghai, as a token of gratitude and a symbol of the community's respect and affection for their contribution to the growth of the local church. (Agenzia Fides, 9/3/2026)
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