From the diocese of Beijing to the dioceses of Wanxian (now Wanzhou), Sanyuan (in Shaanxi Province) and Jilin, Chinese Catholic communities welcomed six new priests ordained, as is customary, on the feast of St. Mark the Evangelist, April 25th.
In Beijing, more than seventy priests took part in the solemn priestly ordination of Fr. Joseph Guo Chen presided over by Bishop Joseph Li Shan.
During the liturgy, which was also broadcast and followed via the internet, Bishop Li urged the newly ordained priest "to follow the example of Christ, the eternal High Priest, and to fulfill his duties as a minister and the task of sanctification with joy and love, to serve the faithful and work for the salvation of souls, following in the footsteps of the Good Shepherd by devoting himself to the edification of the family of the Church".
Fr. Joseph Guo speaking before the people of God, and also before his own visibly emotional mother, promised to "fulfill his priestly duties in the best possible way, devote himself completely to God and do everything to continue the good work that the Lord has begun in me".
Also in the Cathedral of the diocese of Wanxian, Bishop Paul He Zeqing celebrated the priestly ordination of Fr. Peter Feng Longgang.
In view of the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, Joseph Han Yingjin, bishop of the diocese of Sanyuan ordained a priest and a deacon. The liturgy was attended by more than 50 priests and hundreds of lay faithful. The new priest and deacon asked everyone to continue "to pray for them on their vocational journey."
Bishop Paul Pei Junmin, at the head of the diocese of Liaoning, ordained three priests of the Jilin community.
The Tangshan community also welcomed a new deacon on the feast day of St. Mark the Evangelist.