From special ed to finding water, Chinese church offers social help

Published: 2007-04-05

NANJING, China (CNS) -- About two dozen students clad in red sweat suits danced around the small room, twirling brightly colored fans in rhythm with the music. The students ranged in age from 13 to 43, but their mental capacity did not surpass age 12. Thirty-two students attend the Ark-Nanjing Special Education Center, run by the Nanjing Diocese with support from the local government; about 10 students live at the center and go home every other weekend. Some students have autism, some have Down syndrome, some have a nervous condition, said Sister Maria Zheng, a member of the Sisters of Mercy of the Nanjing Diocese. She and another nun are part of the nine-member staff, some of whom sleep in the room with several children to help them during the night. Special education is just one of many social services offered by the Catholic Church in China, where the government has recognized that religious communities have a role to play in social welfare activities. Social service officials say China has 23 million of its 1.32 billion people living in absolute poverty, unable to afford the most basic goods and services.

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