Welcome to the China-Macau Bulletin, October 2009

Feast of St Claret celebrated

The joy of Celebrating the feast of St Claret in China was entirely a different one. The Communities in Macau and Taiwan celebrated the feast with due solemnity together with their associates, friends and well-wishers.

Celebrants with the Bishop Most Rev. Joseph Lai

In Macau the feast was celebrated for the first time. This served to be an occasion for our well-wishers and friends to come together to share our joy and to get to know a little more about the Claretians and their Mission.

Claretians and the Associates at Macau with the Bishop

The festal Mass, concelebrated by Most Rev. Joseph Lai, the Bishop of Macau was well attended by around 100 faithful.

Claretian Associates

During his homily, the Bishop appreciated the good works the Claretians do in the Diocese and all around the world.

Friends and Well-wishers

Like their founder St Claret, who left his own country and went to Cuba for the Missionary work, these Claretians have left their own country and home for the missionary work in this great country of China, the Bishop said.

BBQ was part of the celebrations!

Fr. Rossa attends Frankfurt Book Fair

You are what you read. You read, therefore you are!

The Frankfurt Book Fair is a meeting place for the publishing industry’s experts. Be they publishers, booksellers, agents, film producers or authors - each year in October, they all come together and create something new. The Frankfurt Book Fair is the most important marketplace for books, media, rights and licences worldwide. More than 7,300 exhibitors from 100 countries, 299,000 visitors and over 10,000 journalists.

Fr. Alberto Rossa attended the book Fair 2009 in October together with other Claretian Editors from around the world. Claretian Publications in Macau is in the final stages of its latest project of the Christian Community Bible in Chinese language. The Chinese Daily Gospel, published by the Claretians is well accepted in Macau and Hong Kong as well as in the Mainland.

Bishop Tong proves a tonic for ties with Beijing

Most Rev. John Tong, Bishop of Hong Kong

Bishop John Tong of the Diocese of Hong Kong hopes for better relations with the Mainland China. When members of the Vatican's high-level commission on China affairs meet in the last week of October, their attention will focus once again on how reconciliation with Beijing can proceed after a season of stagnation.

Bishop Tong was among the 200-strong delegation of Hong Kong business, political and social leaders the central government invited to see the celebratory events in Tiananmen Square on October 1 - a repeat of what was considered in political circles to be the honour he received last year as a guest at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Beijing.

Anthony Lam Sui-ki, a religious affairs analyst with the Holy Spirit Study Centre, Hong Kong, said the fact that Beijing had found Bishop Tong more acceptable ... did not mean the local diocese had gone soft on religious-freedom issues. "Before Bishop Tong went to Beijing for the National Day celebrations, he called for the release of underground clerics currently imprisoned by the mainland authorities. It is just that Beijing chose not to interpret it as a challenge," Lam said. Courtesy: South China Morning Post, 27 October 2009

Catholics celebrate National Day

Catholics celebrate National Day with prayers, singing contest

SHENZHEN, China: Young Catholics have celebrated the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China in their own way – by praying for the country and its future. As other Chinese were celebrating the Oct. 1 National Day with fireworks and performances, one group of Catholic teenagers and young adults organized a candlelight prayer gathering at the seaside to mark the occasion.

Father Hu Qinghua, pastor of the Bao’an Church in Shenzhen city, southern China, led some 10 parishioners to Xichong beach, a scenic spot at the eastern edge of the special economic zone on the evening of Oct. 2, the feast of the Holy Guardian Angels. There they prayed for Chinese fisher folk, the victims of natural disasters in Taiwan and elsewhere in Asia, and asked for God’s providence for the Chinese people. They placed 60 candles on the beach in the shape of a heart with a cross inside. They also prayed that they would be “salt and light,” able to share the love of Christ with others.

The prayer meeting helped the busy youngsters refresh themselves spiritually as well as physically, a participant told UCA News. Some curious passersby were attracted by the reflective atmosphere and even joined in the prayers.

In southwestern China, Nanchong diocese in Sichuan organized a singing contest on Sept. 26 themed “Celebrating the National Day, promoting evangelization.” The competition attracted eight choirs from seven parishes in seven cities as well as one formed by priests and nuns. In all there were about 200 participants. - Courtesy: UCAN

Bible in China

Is this not amazing! Claretian Publications, Macau, utilizes the facilities of the Press in the Mainland for all its publishing projects. The Christian Community Bible, available in varied sizes, designs and more importantly languages, is printed in the Amity Press.

The Story of an Abled man to all the Disabled!

Imagine being born without arms. No arms to wrap around someone, no hands to experience touch, or to hold another hand with. Or what about being born without legs? Having no ability to dance, walk, run, or even stand on two feet. Now put both of those scenarios together - no arms and no legs. What would you do? How would that effect your everyday life?

Nick Vujicic, Born in 1982 in Melbourne, Australia, has only one message: NEVER EVER GIVE UP!