China to Demolish Church for Being “Too Showy”
The Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Yining, on China’s western border, is to be destroyed as part of the “sinicization” policy promoted by President Xi Jinping, on the pretext that it is “too showy” and is built on land of high commercial value. The building was erected in 2000, outside the city, precisely so as not to be visible; however, the site now sits along a route to the airport, hence the decision to demolish it.
Since 2018, this church has suffered destructive measures imposed by the Bureaux of Religious Affairs, including the removal the four bas-reliefs that adorned the facade, the statues of St. Peter and St. Paul and the cross that crowned the tympanum, and the demolition of the domes and belfries that topped the towers. Other churches have also been destroyed on the same pretext.
Vast majority of Poles declare themselves Catholic
A report entitled The Church in Poland, published on March 6 by KAI (Polish acronym for Catholic Information Agency), provides important information regarding the faith in this country. According to the document, 91.9% of Poles consider themselves Catholic, and of these, 36.9% regularly attend Mass.
According to Marcin Przeciszewski, president of KAI, the study shows that “Polish society is much more resistant to contemporary trends of secularization than other European societies.” This does not mean that the local church is problem-free, for if “the report presents a relatively young and dynamic institution with strong apostolic structures,” it does not hide the challenge of transmitting the Faith to younger generations or the decline in vocations.
Poland has 1,050 Catholic shrines, 793 of which are dedicated to Our Lady.
Hosts undamaged in flood
In mid-February, in the city of Carangola, in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, heavy rains raised the level of the river that runs through the municipality, causing extensive flooding. Water entered the Chapel of St. Anthony and inundated the tabernacle. The Hosts reserved there, however, suffered no damage: they remained intact and dry.
Statue vandalized in Texas restored
The statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus from St. Patrick’s Church in El Paso, Texas, vandalized in September of last year, has now been completely restored.
Faithful from various parts of the United States donated funds for the statue’s repair, which was carried out by Daprato Rigali Studios. The original statue was made in 1917 by the same studio, and has now been restored by the successors of the first craftsmen who worked on it.
Attacks on chapels in the Philippines
At the beginning of Lent, several places of worship in the Philippines were the target of violent attacks.
On February 17, the chapels of St. Isidore and the Immaculate Conception in Lamitan City were attacked. When the faithful arrived make the preparations for Ash Wednesday Mass, they found the main statues decapitated or lying on the street, as well as other holy objects damaged. Faithful in the village of Maganda also saw, on the same occasion, a crucifix and several statues of Saints thrown out onto the street.
The following Sunday, unknown assailants broke the right hand of the statue of Our Lady that stood at the entrance to the Parish of St. Pius in Legazpi, and damaged another statue of an Angel.
Dossier on the Saints of the Salesian Order published
In December 2020, the Congregation of St. Francis de Sales published a Dossier of the Salesian Postulation, containing a list of all its members already proclaimed Saints by the Church and those who are in the process of being officially recognized as such.
The document reveals that there are already 9 Saints, 118 Blessed, 18 Venerable and 28 Servants of God within the spiritual family founded by St. John Bosco, and that these numbers are likely to increase since there are about sixty new cases being followed directly by the Postulation.
Holiness is a path walked with others. This is what the Dossier highlights when it states that the Saints “are always in company: where there is one, we always find many others.”
The Year 2020 Devastating for Fatima Shrine
Fr. Carlos Cabecinhas, rector of the Fatima Shrine in Portugal, has revealed that 2020 was a devastating year due to the decrease in the number of pilgrims due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The figures highlight the contrast between 2019 and 2020: the former registered 6.3 million pilgrims in ten thousand celebrations; in the latter, the number fell to 1.4 million faithful in only 4,384 liturgical acts.
The rector commented that “2020 was not only a different and strange year: it was a difficult year” because “it obliged us to shut down spaces dedicated to hospitality and reception.” Even the celebration of Lent, Holy Week and Easter took place without the participation of the faithful. And he added: “For the first time we had to celebrate May 12 and 13 without the physical presence of pilgrims, and October 12 and 13 with only six thousand pilgrims in the large prayer hall.”
Donations to the shrine have also fallen drastically, as they are contingent on the attendance and generosity of visitors.
April was the worst month for the Fatima Shrine. The situation improved slightly between May and September, with August being the month with the highest number of pilgrims: 383,293 faithful in 448 celebrations. On the other hand, the followers of the shrine’s website increased.
Fr. Cabecinhas pointed out that “Fatima has always been resilient. In its more than century-old history, it has experienced many difficulties and has always come out stronger. We hope this will also be the case now.” And he closed by expressing his wish that “Despite currently experiencing a tragic time, we have the hope that this year will be a year of recovery.”
