ASIA/CHINA - Faithful of Shang Hai travel to the Shrine of Our Lady of She Shan to celebrate the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, praying to her for “new and holy priests,” as requested by the Bishop in Year for Priests message
Shang Hai (Agenzia Fides) – Over 300 faithful from the Diocese of Shang Hai gathered in the Shrine of Our Lady of She Shan on Saturday, September 5, to celebrate a few days ahead of time, the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in this Year for Priests. They are especially invoking the intercession of Our Lady, asking that the Lord may grant the Church “more priests, more holy priests,” as the Bishop requested in his pastoral message for the Year for Priests.
According to information sent to Fides, following the recitation of the Rosary and the Mass, the faithful placed flowers and sweets before the image of Our Lady, in her honor.
The Diocese of Shang Hai has a great tradition of Marian devotion, which is seen at the Marian Shrine of Our Lady of She Shan, which is the most famous Marian shrine in Asia, and which is particularly close to the heart of the Holy Father Benedict XVI. On May 24, 2008, prior to the World Day of Prayer for the Church in China and feast of Our Lady, Help of Christians, the Pope personally composed the “Prayer to Our Lady of She Shan.”
In every important circumstance in the life of the Church, the local community always turns to Our Lady for her intercession. During this Year for Priests, they have entrusted the Virgin with the vocations and holiness of priests. In his Pastoral Letter for the Year for Priests, Bishop Aloysius Jin Lu Xian, SJ of Shang Hai asked the Lord: “grant us more priests, more holy priests.” In his message, Bishop Jin called for prayer, and the formation and conservation of vocations to the priesthood. In addition, he explained the meaning behind the word “sacer-dos” and the expression “alter Christus,” to highlight the priest's belonging to Christ, to whom he should always cling and whom he should imitate in order to be worthy of the title “other Christ.”
(NZ) (Agenzia Fides 7/9/2009)
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