Catholic community in the communist country welcomes several new priests in a host of dioceses.
The Catholic Church in China has welcomed several new priests in recent weeks in a sign of new hope for the community in the communist country.
In autumn, the traditional harvest season in China and many parts of Asia, the country’s Catholic community harvested much-awaited spiritual fruits in several dioceses where priestly ordinations took place, reports the Vatican’s Fides news agency.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, ordination ceremonies were held with restrictions in the presence of a limited number of faithful, but the events had no lack of celebrations or enthusiasm.
Bishop Paul Pei Junmin of the Archdiocese of Shenyang ordained Paul Li Hongdong as a priest at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral Church in Shenyang, the capital city of Liaoning, the northernmost coastal province of China. The ordination took place on the feast of Saints Simon and Jude on Oct. 28.
The prelate encouraged Father Li to “come down from the altar to set out on the journey towards the mission, towards the people of God, to proclaim the Gospel.”
Bishop Pei shared his life story and priestly journey under difficult circumstances with the faithful and urged the new priest “not to be afraid to choose and follow Jesus.”
Bishop Shen congratulated Father Liu on his ordination as he comes from a devout Catholic family and followed two other siblings who entered religious life
At the end of the ordination ceremony, he requested the newly ordained priest to bless him and all the priests present.
Bishop Joseph Shen Bin of Haimen Diocese in east-central China ordained Joseph Liu Xingfeng as a new priest on the feast of St. Teresa of the Child Jesus, the patroness of the missions, on Oct. 1.
Bishop Shen congratulated Father Liu on his ordination as he comes from a devout Catholic family and followed two other siblings who entered religious life. His parents have four children.
Father Liu requested the faithful to pray for him so that he could become a “worthy priest.”
SOURCE: UCA NEWS