Our Lady of China
Encyclopedia
Our Lady of China is the name given to an apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Donglu
, China
, first appearing in 1900.
An officially sanctioned image of Our Lady of China was blessed, granted and promulgated by Pope Pius XI in 1928, in response to the requests made by the 1924 Shanghai Synod of Bishops in China, the first national conference of bishops in the country. Following the event, Archbishop Celso Costantini(剛恆毅), Apostolic Delegate in China, along with all the bishops of China, declared the Chinese people dedicated to Our Lady of China, using the official image. In 1941, Pope Pius XII designated the feast day as an official feast of the Catholic liturgical calendar. In 1973, following the Second Vatican Council
, the Chinese Bishops conference, upon approval from the Holy See, placed the feast day on the vigil
(day preceding) of Mothers Day (the second Sunday of May).
Christian devotion to Our Lady of China has been popular in Donglu
.
Several churches, chapels, and pastoral centers around the world, predominantly those focused on ministry to Chinese-speaking
Catholics, have adopted the name, including a mission in Washington, DC http://www.catholicworld.info/usa-dc-olcpm/. There is a mosaic
of Our Lady of China in the National Shrine
of the United States
in Washington, DC, established and dedicated in 2002 under the Most Rev. Michael J. Bransfield http://www.nationalshrine.com/site/apps/nl/content2.asp?c=etITK6OTG&b=309285&ct=151374. There has been some controversy because the image used in the Chapel is not the officially approved image of Our Lady of China, but instead uses the image of Our Lady of China and Baby Jesus painted by John Lu Hung Nien. The late Cardinal Thomas Tien Keng-Hsin, the first Chinese Cardinal, used this image for the prayer card for the persecuted in China, which was widely promoted in the U.S.A. and Canada. Critics have accused John Lu Hung Nien's image of the Virgin Mary, of resembling the Buddhist bodhisattva Guan Yin.
The Our Lady of Sheshan is another, similar apparition which has attained like acclamation and fame among Chinese Christians.
Now in the Philippines
, in the Chapel of Our Lady of China now in Binondo Church in the district of Binondo, Manila
near in Manila Chinatown
, Santa Maria Parish Church in Iloilo City
and Sacred Heart (Chinese) Church in Cebu City
with the other devolties from the local Filipinos
and the Chinese Filipino
s to praying to the church of Our Lady of China here in the Philippines.
Donglu
Donglü is a village in Qingyuan County, Hebei province, China.It has become known for the apparition of Mary, known as Our Lady of China, witnessed there in 1900, and the Marian shrine and pilgrimage site which have since developed.-Geography:...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, first appearing in 1900.
An officially sanctioned image of Our Lady of China was blessed, granted and promulgated by Pope Pius XI in 1928, in response to the requests made by the 1924 Shanghai Synod of Bishops in China, the first national conference of bishops in the country. Following the event, Archbishop Celso Costantini(剛恆毅), Apostolic Delegate in China, along with all the bishops of China, declared the Chinese people dedicated to Our Lady of China, using the official image. In 1941, Pope Pius XII designated the feast day as an official feast of the Catholic liturgical calendar. In 1973, following the Second Vatican Council
Second Vatican Council
The Second Vatican Council addressed relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the modern world. It was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church and the second to be held at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. It opened under Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962 and closed...
, the Chinese Bishops conference, upon approval from the Holy See, placed the feast day on the vigil
Vigil
A vigil is a period of purposeful sleeplessness, an occasion for devotional watching, or an observance...
(day preceding) of Mothers Day (the second Sunday of May).
Christian devotion to Our Lady of China has been popular in Donglu
Donglu
Donglü is a village in Qingyuan County, Hebei province, China.It has become known for the apparition of Mary, known as Our Lady of China, witnessed there in 1900, and the Marian shrine and pilgrimage site which have since developed.-Geography:...
.
Several churches, chapels, and pastoral centers around the world, predominantly those focused on ministry to Chinese-speaking
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
Catholics, have adopted the name, including a mission in Washington, DC http://www.catholicworld.info/usa-dc-olcpm/. There is a mosaic
Mosaic
Mosaic is the art of creating images with an assemblage of small pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials. It may be a technique of decorative art, an aspect of interior decoration, or of cultural and spiritual significance as in a cathedral...
of Our Lady of China in the National Shrine
Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is a prominent Latin Rite Catholic basilica located in Washington, D.C., honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary as Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, the Patroness of the United States...
of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in Washington, DC, established and dedicated in 2002 under the Most Rev. Michael J. Bransfield http://www.nationalshrine.com/site/apps/nl/content2.asp?c=etITK6OTG&b=309285&ct=151374. There has been some controversy because the image used in the Chapel is not the officially approved image of Our Lady of China, but instead uses the image of Our Lady of China and Baby Jesus painted by John Lu Hung Nien. The late Cardinal Thomas Tien Keng-Hsin, the first Chinese Cardinal, used this image for the prayer card for the persecuted in China, which was widely promoted in the U.S.A. and Canada. Critics have accused John Lu Hung Nien's image of the Virgin Mary, of resembling the Buddhist bodhisattva Guan Yin.
The Our Lady of Sheshan is another, similar apparition which has attained like acclamation and fame among Chinese Christians.
Now in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, in the Chapel of Our Lady of China now in Binondo Church in the district of Binondo, Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
near in Manila Chinatown
Chinatown
A Chinatown is an ethnic enclave of overseas Chinese people, although it is often generalized to include various Southeast Asian people. Chinatowns exist throughout the world, including East Asia, Southeast Asia, the Americas, Australasia, and Europe. Binondo's Chinatown located in Manila,...
, Santa Maria Parish Church in Iloilo City
Iloilo City
The City of Iloilo is a highly urbanized city in the Philippines and the capital city of Iloilo province. It is the regional center of the Western Visayas, as well as the center of the Iloilo-Guimaras Metropolitan Area...
and Sacred Heart (Chinese) Church in Cebu City
Cebu City
The City of Cebu is the capital city of Cebu and is the second largest city in the Philippines, the second most significant metropolitan centre in the Philippines and known as the oldest settlement established by the Spaniards in the country.The city is located on the eastern shore of Cebu and was...
with the other devolties from the local Filipinos
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
and the Chinese Filipino
Chinese Filipino
A Chinese Filipino derived from two words: "Tsino" and "Pinoy" ) is a Philippine national of Chinese ethnicity but born/raised in the Philippines....
s to praying to the church of Our Lady of China here in the Philippines.