Shanghai Diocese launches activities to mark arrival of Catholicism

Published: 2008-03-27

SHANGHAI, China (CNS) -- The Shanghai Diocese has launched a series of activities to mark the 400th anniversary of the arrival of Catholicism in the region. The celebration will trace the development of Catholicism in the diocese, Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Xing Wenzhi told the Asian church news agency UCA News in March. He said the events would highlight the life of the first Catholic in Shanghai, Xu Guangqi, the values he embraced through his faith, and how he evangelized among family, friends and colleagues. Bishop Xing, 44, said he hopes local Catholics will learn from Xu's example of evangelizing to his family first. Catholics today are less spiritually fervent and family-oriented, he said, which poses a challenge for the church. When young Chinese Catholics seek a spouse, few make finding a Catholic partner their first priority, he said. The bishop said he also hopes priests, nuns and laypeople will deepen their spirituality and intensify evangelization efforts through the commemoration, which will include a historical photo exhibition and seminar.

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