Visit to the old Claretian mission in China

Huangshan in Anhui Province is a place of scenic beauty. Some of the most famous mountains in China are here. For us Claretians, it is a special place of significance because our pioneer missionaries to China worked here from 1929 until their expulsion in 1951.

Hence, Huangshan has a special place in our missionary concern. We visited the place several times although it is several thousand kilometers away from Macao and Taiwan. The area now has a small Catholic community. Some of the older generation who are still alive, were in contact with our Claretian predecessors... 

Recently we have visited Huangshan, intending to listen to some stories of past and present. The Catholic community is now building a Church in the area. We've already discussed this in other blogs and posted some pictures. Here are some more:

Sketch of the new Church in Huangshan

Construction in progress (April 2012). The opening will be in late 2012.

Catholics in Huangshan 

Two giants of Huangshan Catholic Community. They have received the faith from the Claretians in the 1940s. Here they are:

Mr. Wang with Alberto

Fr. Marcelino with Nicholas

--------------- The witness of Nicholas 

Gospel of John, Nicholas copied by hand, in Spanish. This book was not confiscated since it was handwritten and in Spanish, and this was his 'Daily Bread' - the Word of God for this great man for many years. We were excited to hear their stories, their experiences in times of persecution, imprisonment and house arrest for many years.

Nicholas , witness to the faith in China

Nicolas giving the manuscript of the Gospel of St. John in Spanish

Tuenxi - the famous street in Huagshan. Ancient street close to where our missionaries were resident in the 30s and 40s of the last century.In the photo: Marcelino, Alberto and Mario during a recent visit to Huangshan.