BEIJING (Fides): Across China, Catholic parishes marked Lent with a range of spiritual activities, including retreats, visits to the sick, formation courses, and participation in the Stations of the Cross. These observances have become central to parish life during this sacred season.
In the Diocese of Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, 43 priests took part in a retreat held from March 7 to 14. Themed “The God in whom I believe”, the event focused on meditations exploring the foundations of personal faith. Organisers aimed to support priests in rekindling the spiritual roots of their vocation, especially as they often face overwhelming pastoral duties.
In the Diocese of Ningbo, priests and laypeople visited hospital patients, offering comfort and administering the sacraments to Catholic faithful. Some parishioners also delivered an image of the Holy Family to parish families in a gesture of spiritual solidarity.
Meanwhile, in the parish of Jiujiang in the Diocese of Nanchang, Jiangxi province, parishioners participated in a three-day intensive retreat from March 12 to 15. Led by Father Pang Rui and Father Cui Fenglei, deputy head of the Diocesan Commission for Evangelisation, the retreat focused on the connection between liturgy and prayer. Participants were encouraged to experience the liturgy as a moment of active involvement in the mystery of salvation presented in the gospel.
In Beijing, a faith course centred on the Word of God was held on March 12 at the House of St. Therese, as part of the diocesan Year of Sacred Scripture. The cathedral community called on parishioners to “keep the Word of God deep in their hearts and to live it in their daily lives, so as to become true witnesses to the Gospel of Christ.”
The diocese also scheduled a Lenten course for laypeople every Saturday and Sunday throughout Lent. The programme included catechesis, meditation, the Rosary, the Sacrament of Confession, and the Anointing of the Sick for elderly and infirm parishioners.
Similarly, the Diocese of Shanghai provided Lenten retreats every weekend, guiding the faithful as they prepare for the celebration of Easter.
