BEIJING (Agenzia Fides): On May 2, the Congregation of St. Joseph of the Archdiocese of Beijing, the first indigenous female religious congregation in China, celebrated the 150th anniversary of its founding in 1872 by the then-vicar apostolic of Beijing, Bishop Louis-Gabriel Delaplace, of the Congregation of the Mission.
Retracing history, deepening and reviving the charism of the founder by embarking on the synodal path were the objectives of the celebration.
According to historical sources, Bishop Delaplace was inspired by St. Joseph to found a Chinese religious congregation and the proposal was discussed in 1870, during the First Vatican Council.
After two years of preparation and with the help of the Canossian Sisters, the Congregation of Saint Joseph was founded with nuns coming exclusively from Beijing and its surroundings.
Bishop Delaplace set out the congregation’s main purposes as being ecclesial and social service, and mission. Its activities have been mainly in the fields of health and education, but the congregation has have always available for the requests and needs of the diocese.
Even amidst the present Covid-19 pandemic, the sisters have continued their intense pastoral and missionary commitment, living community life, even renewing their religious vows with only the virtual participation of friends and relatives.
After a 30-year closure because of the Cultural Revolution, the Congregation of St. Joseph reopened in 1986 with six young people from the suburbs of Beijing. Today, 49 religious sisters, from different provinces, work in various dioceses, parishes, schools, clinics and in a nursing home.
The laity have always been their first apostolic commitment, which is why they periodically have an open day welcoming all people—including non-Christians—presenting of the history and life of the congregation; giving guided visits; having seminars or meetings; and prayers in the chapel.
Sometimes they also invite the sisters studying at the national seminary in Beijing, who come from all over China, to share their vocation and experience of community life.
Congregation of St. Joseph takes its motto from 1 Corinthians 9:19, which says, “I have made myself a slave to all so as to win over as many as possible,” and from Luke 17:10, which says, “When you have done all you have been commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do’.”
