Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI
Diocesi di Ningbo
Ningbo (Agenzia Fides) – In his homily at the solemn Mass that opened the celebrations for the 100th anniversary of the parish of Hushan, dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus (1925-2025), Bishop Francis Xavier Jin Yangke of the Diocese of Ningbo, in the Chinese province of Zhejiang, emphasized the principles of gratitude, transmission of faith, and mission. The anniversary month of initiatives and celebrations, which began on June 28, became an opportunity for the parish to reflect on the history of the parish and the changes that have characterized the missionary work of its members, who were willing to respond to the “signs of the times” in a context marked in recent decades by major economic and social changes related to urbanization processes and the phenomenon of immigration within the country and from other countries.During the month of celebration, parishioners also commemorated the 18th anniversary of the “House of the Faithful” which is dedicated specifically to supporting pastoral initiatives for Catholic migrant workers. Cixi is a county-level city in the prosperous Chinese province of Zhejiang, which consistently ranks at the top of the gross domestic product rankings. Located in the Yangtze River Delta, Cixi, as a manufacturing center for ironware and household appliances, attracts numerous Chinese and foreign workers. Of the city’s two million residents, approximately half are migrant workers. Eighteen years ago, on June 1, 2007, the “House of the Faithful” was inaugurated in the Xushan parish to provide a place for Catholic workers from other parts of the country to gather. A place where they can cultivate their affiliation with the Church and receive support in their witness of faith, even in the workplace.Educational opportunities and opportunities for exchange at weekends, charitable initiatives, catechism, pilgrimages, and communal worship are just some of the initiatives and communal moments that have developed around the center over time. In its first year of opening, 13 baptisms were registered among the migrant workers involved in the center’s initiatives. On the occasion of the Year of St. Paul, proclaimed by Pope Benedict XVI from June 28, 2008, to June 29, 2009, a pilgrimage and a study course on the letters of the Apostle Paul were organized to “make Christ known to all.” Today, the center has become an integral and important part of the life of the parish. Each year, approximately 10 newly baptized people become members of the center and the faith community.The solemn Mass that inaugurated the parish’s centenary celebrations on June 28 was attended by 29 religious sisters, 29 concelebrating priests, and more than 800 faithful from the five parishes of the Cixi deanery and the 12 mission stations of the Xushan parish. Bishop Francis Xavier Jin recalled the parish’s history and vicissitudes, highlighting the aforementioned “key words”: “gratitude to the Lord and all who have contributed, especially the silent believers, the courageous and steadfast believers who dedicated their youth to spreading the Gospel of the Kingdom of God”; “the transmission of the authentic faith,” preserved by the Church’s tradition, which is “the lifeblood of the development of the diocese and the parish”; and the “mission,” calling everyone to “be courageous in witnessing to the faith” and “to care for others and serve the community.” (NZ) (Agenzia Fides, 8/7/2025)
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