BEIJING (Agenzia Fides): A new church—named for St. Joseph, patron saint of missions in China—was recently inaugurated in Yiwu, in the Diocese of Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province.
The new church was consecrated by Bishop Joseph Yang Yongqiang on March 18. The following day, the feast of St. Joseph, the spouse of the Virgin Mary, the bishop administered the sacrament of Confirmation to approximately 40 adults of the new parish.
More than 2,000 faithful participated in the ordination liturgy, celebrated by 23 priests from Hangzhou, the Diocese of Wenzhou, and Ningbo, together with the bishop.
Retracing the parish’s history, Bishop Yang recalled that “the Church is a home, a place of love and affection,” and thanked St. Joseph, who intercedes for the local Church as Patron of the mission in China.
Located 300 kilometres from Shanghai, Yiwu counts more than 1,000 Catholics and nearly 20,000 Christians of other denominations, according to statistics. The city is home to the world’s largest wholesale market for small goods. It is also the starting point for many of the devotional objects sold in churches, parishes, and religious shops around the world, including those around the Vatican.
Until 2001, there was no place of worship for Catholics. With the region’s economic growth, local and foreign Catholics who do business there began to gather for prayer in private homes. In 2007, 500 Catholics gathered to celebrate Christmas together.
On 14 June 2008, a Catholic church was opened that could accommodate approximately 200 people. Gradually, a faithful and vibrant community emerged.
The diocese has sent three priests to oversee the pastoral care of the local community, which can now also count on the new St. Joseph’s Church to fulfill its mission of proclaiming the gospel to the merchants at the Yiwu wholesale market.
Masses are already being celebrated in Chinese, English, and Korean in the new church.
