Australia and Our Lady Help of Christians

Australia is the only country in the world with Our Lady Help of Christians as the main patroness. Celebrating Mass was a crime in the colonial land in the early 19th century, and the first Catholics were prisoners and had to resort to the Rosary to keep their faith alive. Similarly, the present Australia is highly secularized and still maintains a deep anti-Catholic sentiment. We need to invoke Auxilium Christianorum to transform the Aussies' hearts.

Pius VII instituted the feast of Mary under the title of Help of Christians to give thanks to the mediatrix after his return to Rome in 1814. After the establishment of the hierarchy of Australia in 1842, the Australian bishops similarly recognized the role of the Mother of God and dedicated Australia under the patronage of Our Lady Help of Christians in 1844.

Statue of Our Lady Help of Christians, St. Mary Cathedral, Sydney

I have visited many countries all over the world, but this is only the first time I have made a trip to the land Down Under. I found many images of Mary Help of Christians in many churches in different form. I was also able to assist at a Mass there on May 24, the Solemnity of Our Lady Help of Christians.

In the last two weeks I was there, I visited many churches and cathedrals. Below are the cathedrals I visited:

On a side note, out of different places I visited in Australia, the liturgy in certain churches around Sydney surprised me with high quality. I believe that outside of Europe, there are few cathedrals that do liturgy as beautifully as the Sydney cathedral. A solemn Mass is held every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. in the Cathedral Basilica of St. Mary, and I was there on the Fifth Sunday of Easter. The Most Rev. Anthony Fisher, Archbishop of Sydney, was the celebrant, together with the Archbishop of Perth who happened to visit Sydney that week. The cathedral choir, mostly composed mainly of boys from the Cathedral Choir School who sing every day during school term, sings the Mass parts mostly in Latin. Everything in the liturgy was done reverently and gorgeously.

Here's a video of the recessional procession to give you a taste of the solemnity of the celebration:

When I was in Australia, I especially prayed for Cardinal George Pell every day, who had been unjustly sentenced to prison for things he could not have done from the evidence. Let us pray for consolation and strength for the beloved servant of God, for fruits from his sufferings, and for his successful appeal. Let us pray for Australia:

Almighty ever-living God,
who placed the love of Our Lady, Help of Christians
in the hearts of those who brought the Catholic faith to these shores,
grant, through her intercession,
wisdom to our leaders and integrity to our citizens,
so that, under her protection,
Australia may know harmony, justice and peace.
Through our Lord, Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
(Collect, Solemnity of Our Lady Help of Christians, patron of Australia)

On this 30th anniversary of the massacre of students in Tiananmen Square, Beijing, let us also pray to the almighty Father, through the powerful intercessions of Our Lady Help of Christians who is dearest to the Chinese people, that the Gospel can illuminate the land of China and the Catholics can be strengthened in their faith and witness in this difficult time.

Auxilium Christianorum, ora pro nobis.

Our Lady of China

Today this year the Church in Hong Kong and China celebrates the moveable Memorial of Our Lady of China, while in Taiwan it is celebrated with the rank of Feast. Since 1973, it has been celebrated annually on the day before Mothers' Day (the second Sunday in May), and takes the triple significance of Saturday (Mary's day), May (Mary's month) and the Motherhood of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This year, Mothers' Day also happily coincides with the feast of Our Lady of Fatima. Macau celebrates the Feast on Chinese New Year Day, using the red liturgical colour.

The Confucian tradition allows the Chinese faithful to readily accept the importance of devotion to the Blessed Mother, as filial piety is primary to the cultivation of virtue in the Chinese culture. The love for the Blessed Virgin is present in all nations through different artistic forms, and the Chinese people have one of their own that is particularly important, but unfortunately, little known. The importance is due to apparitions of the Virgin Mary and a famous painting in Donglu.

Parish Church of Donglu

Church of Donglu in 1904

Situated about 20 km southeast of the city of Baoding, in the Province of Hebei surrounding Beijing, the humble village of Dōnglǘ﹙東閭村﹚ has never been well known. Donglu became a Catholic village during the active missionary period, and the Vincentians erected a church dedicated to Our Lady in the nineteenth century.

The year 1900 was a bloody year in the secular and Catholic history of China. The Boxer Rebellion broke out as a result of foreign domination, and Catholics were easy targets as Catholicism was viewed as a foreign institution of domination. There were about 700 to 800 Catholics in the village. When persecution broke out, about 300 to 400 Catholics from elsewhere fled to Donglu.

In June 1900, more than 3,000 strong Boxers surrounded the village. It should have been an easy job for them to conquer the simple village. It would be absolutely impossible to lose, with the great army equipped with cannons among other weapons, as opposed to a village greatly out-manned and out-powered. However, the Boxers were unprepared for divine intervention.

The clergy summoned all the old and the children to the church and asked them to pray fervently to Our Lady of Donglu. They prayed day and night, while the young fought with the Boxers. It was reported that for several times “a woman in white” appeared above the church, shining brightly and floating in the air, witnessed within and without the village. There was also the phenomenon of “an army of white angelic figures riding on white horses”, reported not by the Donglu Catholics but by the Boxers. The army was seen marching into the village. There were other reported incidents that could not be understood by natural reason alone.

The Boxers fought daily against Donglu for several months, acquired reinforcements, but still could not conquer the village. They suffered the death of many soldiers and finally retreated.

During the Boxer Rebellion, all churches all over China suffered various degrees of damage, except two that were untouched: the Cathedral of the Holy Saviour in Beijing and the Church of the Blessed Virgin in Donglu.

After the Rebellion, the villagers of Donglu, in thanksgiving to God, replaced the old church with a new twin-towered Gothic-styled church in Donglu.

The Painting of Our Lady of Donglu

Original Painting of Our Lady of Donglu

After the construction of the church in 1904, the pastor commissioned a virgin to paint an image of the Blessed Virgin. The picture was placed above the altar but soon deemed not solemn enough for veneration. The new pastor, Fr. Flament, C.M., came in 1908, and immediately hired a French artist residing in Shanghai and commissioned another painting. This new painting replaced the original one above the altar immediately.

Basing on a painting of the Empress Dowager Cixi﹙慈禧太后﹚, the artist drew a portrait of Mary that is royal in appearance and high in prestige, holding a sceptre in her right hand. He also drew the baby Jesus dressed royally standing upright supported by his Mother, unlike the usual Western style of holding the baby Jesus in Mary's arm. At the top of the painting, these words were written: “Mother of God, Queen of Donglu, pray for us.”

Several miracles of healing attributed to the image were reported in the 1920s and 1930s.

Official Portrait of Our Lady of China

The first and only plenary meeting of the bishops in China took place in 1924 in Shanghai, presided by Archbishop Celso Constantini (later Cardinal), the great Apostolic Delegate to China. During the Synod, the bishops felt that an official portrait of Our Lady was needed prior to consecrating China to the Mother of God. Archbishop Constantini saw a replica of the image of Our Lady of Donglu that was kept in Shanghai, and decided with the bishops that it would become the official image of Our Lady of China. Pope Pius XI granted the request and promulgated the image as Our Lady of China ﹙中華聖母﹚in 1928.

Because of the official promulgation, it is the only image that can be legitimately called “Our Lady of China”. The painting and the village that enshrines it have had a long and prominent history, although unfortunately few Catholics in China and in the world know about it. In 2002, the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., dedicated a mosaic of Our Lady depicted in Chinese style on the left side of the nave, but incorrectly labelled it as Our Lady of China.

National Shrine of Our Lady of China

Because of the decision at the plenary meeting, a small shrine under the patronage of Our Lady of China was built and dedicated in 1926 right next to the church in Donglu. Shrine activities were promoted and became very popular, especially in May, the month of Mary, when a great number of pilgrims travelled to Donglu from afar to pay tribute to Our Lady of China.

With the petition of the local bishop and the report submitted by the apostolic delegate Archbishop Maro Zanin, Pope Pius XI bestowed the title of national shrine﹙國家朝聖地﹚on the church in 1937. The only other national shrine canonically approved in mainland China is the well-known Basilica of Our Lady Help of Christians in Sheshan﹙佘山進教之佑大殿﹚near Shanghai.

Destruction and Rebuilding

Unfortunately, war broke out with Japan in the same year, and in 1940 the government used the church for storage purpose. One day an armed soldier came in the church and shot at the painting, leaving a hole in the top. Knowing that the painting must not stay there, two young parishioners broke into the church on one night and hid the painting, and later courageously brought it to the bishop at the Baoding chancery office. In 1941, the church was destroyed. In 1948, when Baoding was liberated, the painting was returned to Donglu and kept safely at a parishioner's home.

The Cultural Revolution broke out in 1966. Catholic were ordered to hand out all religious items. The portrait of Our Lady of Donglu was also given to the authority and was stored in an elementary school. The painting was carelessly destroyed in 1969 when it was used a mat to place wheat on.

The faithful in Donglu did not have a church until 1989 when they obtained the authorization to build a new one. In 1990, Pope John Paul II bestowed on them an apostolic blessing, which greatly encouraged the faithful in Donglu. Construction lasted 3 years and involved help from many strangers who offered help. The new church was dedicated on 1 May 1992. A faithful but inexact replica of the original image was again placed on top of the high altar.

Recent Activities and Persecutions

Because of the formal papal recognition of the shrine, underground Catholic pilgrims have always considered Donglu as a sign of fidelity to Rome, despite the fact that the shrine is officially administered by the Chinese Patriotic Church and “patriotic” churches are in general detested by underground Catholics. The Office of Religion of the Chinese Communist Party has always feared any symbolic sign of unity of the underground Catholic Church its possible influence on a great mass of people. After the reconstruction of the church, the religious authority has forbidden religious pilgrimages to the destination. Despite warnings, Chinese pilgrims still flocked to the shrine.

During the Marian month in 1995, over 100,000 underground Catholics came and prayed at the shrine. It was reported that a spectacular apparition took place on May 23 that year and was later certified by the local bishop. In 1996, the government wanted to stop pilgrims once and for all, and mobilized 5,000 troops, about 30 armoured cars and some helicopters to seal off the village and destroy the shrine. Since then, persecution on the underground Church, as well as restriction and surveillance of the patriotic Church in the region, has increased significantly. Ever year, especially when May is approaching, the inhabitants in the village are warned not to conduct formal public ceremonies and banned from hosting Christian pilgrims travelling there from outside the village.

Presently there are about 2,500 residents in the village, and a great majority of them are Catholic. Priests and bishops who have resided in the parish have constantly been jailed or even “disappeared”. Although daily Mass is celebrated, outsiders are not allowed to participate.

My Pilgrimage to Donglu

I have personally visited thousands of shrines and churches around the world, but I must admit that my visit to the National Shrine of Our Lady of China﹙中華聖母國家朝聖地﹚in Donglu is certainly the most memorable. I had read so much about Donglu but had no idea how to commute to the village, but I trusted in divine providence.

I was in Beijing for a work trip in 2004. On the feast of St. Mary Magdalene, I travelled alone to Baoding, the major city that is closest to Donglu, via a slow train from Beijing. From Baoding, I flagged down several taxis, but they had no idea where Donglu is, at a time when Google Maps did not yet exist. Finally, I found a taxi driver who knew Donglu only because he grew up nearby the village, and I thankfully jumped into the taxi. After more than half an hour's ride, I could see the spires of the church from far away as the taxi was approaching the tiny village.

The taxi driver let me off near the church, and I begged the driver to wait for me there so that he could take me back to Baoding. Fortunately he agreed. The next major hurdle came when I found the gate to the church locked. I rang the bell, and a priest came out to meet me. To my disrupted joy, he said he could not let me in. I begged him to let me visit the church for I had come from a long distance. He then explained to me that visitors were not allowed by the government and I would be in great danger if the police would found out about my visit. I again begged him, and his heart softened. He looked around from behind the gate, and hurried me in.

I was extremely thankful! Standing in front of the colourful façade of the shrine with such a rich history, I rejoiced and praised the Lord. As I did to each church that I had visited, I took out my camera and tried to take some pictures. The priest stopped me from doing so! He again warned me that, for my good, I should not take any pictures. If I were caught with photos of the church banned from the public, I would be in deep trouble! As the Hongkongese saying goes, you have not visited the place if you do not take a photo. I again begged the priest that I would take the risk. He looked around, and told me to snap the shots quickly. And quickly I did.

The priest then took me into the church. I again had to beg the poor priest to let me record the memory in pictures, and he told me to take one or two only. Needless to say, I took many.

The church, built in the form of a cruciform, features 4 lines of pews in a single aisle, separated from the sanctuary by an altar rail. As in the Chinese custom, two banners were hung from the two columns. On the left is written “Adoring the Blessed Sacrament with a hidden body who humbled and lowered himself onto the altar”, and on the right “Praising the Blessed Mother who is crowned with pearls and ascending onto the throne”. Such a beautiful poem in the form of couplet with parallelism!

The interior of the church is not richly decorated, but the jewel—the painting of Our Lady of China—is found on top of the high altar. Words alone cannot explain the beauty of the image adequately. Pay special attention to the gowns worn by the Virgin and the Infant Jesus.

Present image of Our Lady of China in the National Shrine in Donglu

After admiring the portrait and praying there for a short time, I thanked the priest gratefully. As much as I love taking pictures, I did not dare asking for a picture with him for fear of his safety. The father escorted me out of the shrine, after ensuring there were no plainclothes policemen or officials in sight. I found the taxi-driver waiting for me, and happily returned to Baoding and then to Beijing, feeling as if I had come back from heaven.


Looking back to that day visiting Donglu, I still feel immensely thankful. With my very limited Mandarin at that time, without any prior knowledge on how to go to the remote village, I was able to see Our Lady of China with my own eyes. I could have been caught by police and even possibly put to jail. If I had to choose again, I would still do it. What else is better than finding yourselves in a church blessed with a priceless treasure and a blessed history?

Please pray for the Catholics in China belonging to either the patriotic or underground Churches, that they may freely worship Christ and venerate her Heavenly Mother.


Our Lady of Donglu, pray for us.
Our Lady of China, pray for us.
Our Lady Queen of Martyrs, pray for us.

Prayer for China

On Pentecost in 2007, Pope Benedict XVI wrote an affectionate letter to the Chinese Catholics, pleading for communion within the Church of China and between China and Rome. In closing, he asked the whole world to pray for the Church of China on May 24 (memorial of Our Lady Help of Christians) every year:

"I would like that date to be kept by you as a day of prayer for the Church in China. I encourage you to celebrate it by renewing your communion of faith in Jesus our Lord and of faithfulness to the Pope, and by praying that the unity among you may become ever deeper and more visible. I remind you, moreover, of the commandment that Jesus gave us, to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us...

"On that same day, the Catholics of the whole world – in particular those who are of Chinese origin – will demonstrate their fraternal solidarity and solicitude for you, asking the Lord of history for the gift of perseverance in witness, in the certainty that your sufferings past and present for the Holy Name of Jesus and your intrepid loyalty to his Vicar on earth will be rewarded, even if at times everything can seem a failure."

In anticipation of the fifth Day of Prayer for the Church in China, the Pope added last Sunday:

"We join in prayer all the Catholics in China, that they may proclaim with humility and joy Christ’s death and Resurrection, that they may be faithful to the Church and to the Successor of Peter and live their daily life consistently with the faith that they profess. May Mary, Faithful Virgin, sustain the journey of Chinese Catholics, render their prayer ever more intense and precious in the eyes of the Lord, and make the affection and participation of the universal Church grow on the path of the Church in China."

Here let me share some pictures of cathedrals in China that I have visited:

Clockwise from top-left:
(1) Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Guangzhou (廣州)
(2) Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Hangzhou (杭州)
(3) Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Beijing (北京)
(4) Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi, Xi'an (西安)
(5) Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Nanjing (南京)
(6) Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Shenyang (瀋陽)
(7) Cathedral of St. Ignatius Loyola, Shanghai (上海)
(8) Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Taiyun (太原)

I will definitely share more pictures and stories about churches in China in the future.

Please pray for courage of the Chinese bishops loyal to the Pope, for the sanctity of the priests and religious in China, for the laypeople who suffer because of their faith, for an open attitude of the Chinese government to the Church, and for a miracle from God to allow evangelization to the 1.3 billion people in Mainland China longing for the truth.

The Zen of China

Joseph Cardinal Zen, Bishop emeritus of Hong Kong, turned eighty yesterday. During his episcopacy, he brought the prestige of the Catholic Church to a new height in the cosmopolitan city, where only 5% of its citizens belong to the faith but many of the best schools and charitable institutions are run by the Catholic Church thanks to the work by missionaries since the Great Britain began to rule Hong Kong in 1842.

With his experience as provincial superior of the Salesians and later Dean of Philosophy of the diocesan seminary, Father Zen followed Don Bosco's dream of serving in Mainland China. For seven years he served as guest professor in the major seminaries of Shanghai, Wuhan, Xi'an, Shijiazhuang, Beijing and Shenyang. Just before Hong Kong was to be handed over to Chinese rule, he was appointed Coadjutor Bishop of the world's gateway city to China in 1996. Six years later he succeeded John Baptist Cardinal Wu as Ordinary of Hong Kong. Pope Benedict XVI made him the sixth Chinese Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church in 2006, a news that went on the front page of many local newspapers.

Since becoming bishop, Zen has been outspoken against social injustice and against the Chinese regime, when the Communist government exerted increasing influence on affairs in Hong Kong. Whereas the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Basic Law guarantee "a high degree of autonomy" in this special administrative region in the People's Republic of China, the Communist government interfered in Hong Kong through judicial rulings and penetration of the Hong Kong government by pro-Communist politicians. Publicly participating in peaceful protests or prayer events for the democratization of China every year and bluntly criticizing the Hong Kong government and the Communist Party before reporters time after time, he became known as the "voice of Hong Kong". He brought the Church to record-high popularity when he successfully influenced the defeat of a critical legislative motion. However, later when he strongly advocated for the right of the children of Chinese immigrants to live in Hong Kong (the Basic Law gave them this right and the Final Court of Appeals in Hong Kong ruled in favour, but the Court of China made a surprise overrule), he gradually lost the support of most Hong Kong non-Catholics who are in general antagonistic towards immigrants. Even some priests publicly criticized him for interfering in politics and criticizing China.

However, his biggest concern is always for the Church in China. He always says that his cardinalate was a gift by the Pope to China. It is not a secret that he has been financially supportive of priests and seminarians from either the underground and the open Churches in China. Of particular concern to him has been the quality of bishops consecrated in China, with or without papal mandate. Last year after the illicit consecration of bishops of Jinzhou, Leshan and Shantou, he went to ten cities in the United States and Canada and gave countless interviews, talks and press conferences on the pitiful state of the Catholic Church in China, when he for the first time expressed his criticism of the policy of Propaganda Fide for China under the rule of the just retired Prefect Cardinal Ivan Dias who excessively gave in to China and caused great dismay to bishops loyal to the Holy Father. To his delight, since then, a new Prefect who well understands the Church of China has been appointed and a new Secretary from Hong Kong has been installed in the dicastery, who will no doubt take a hard-line policy for the integrity of apostolic succession in China.

His successor, John Tong, with his soft-spoken nature, does not hold a high profile to the general public of Hong Kong. While some compare him to Cardinal Zen and criticize him of not speaking out enough, Tong is wise and prudent, and the most courteous priest whom I know, embodying the best of the Confucian manner and personally replying to all letters. With his elevation to the College of Cardinals on February 18, Tong will most likely be the second Chinese Cardinal ever to vote in a conclave (after Cardinal Thomas Tien did so in 1968), should the papal see become vacant within the next eight years. While there are rumours that the Diocese of Hong Kong may soon be promoted to Archdiocese (with Macau as suffragan?), this will not affect the rank of Cardinal-designate John Tong other than requiring a tiny change on his coat-of-arms (from the bishop's cross to a metropolitan cross).

Effective today Cardinal Zen lost the right to elect a new pope should His Holiness pass away this day. The 1996 law stipulates that cardinals on their eightieth birthday lose the right to take part in papal election should the Apostolic See become vacant the next day. The extra one day is probably added to account for time-zone difference. As an example, suppose the Cardinal of Toronto celebrates his 80th birthday on November 3, and if the Roman Pontiff dies at 3 a.m. (Italy time) on November 3 (which is 9 p.m., November 2 in Toronto, when the Cardinal was 79 years old), on paper the Cardinal is 80 on that day but he should still have the right of elect the new Pope. (Those who are well versed in canon law, feel free to correct me if necessary.)

Personally I have met and talked with the eminent Prince of the Church in more than ten occasions in Hong Kong, Toronto and Chicago. When he paid a pastoral visit to Chinese parishes in Toronto a few years ago, I was honoured to be his chauffeur for two days! I was struck by his frankness and transparency, and his tireless work for the Church despite his old age. After his retirement from the office of the Bishop of Hong Kong in 2009, he continued to speak out against injustices. Three months ago, with the decision of the Court of Final Appeal rejecting the Church's appeal against the new government's attempt of undermining the Catholic school system, he went on a hunger strike for three days, fasting only on water and Holy Communion. Even though his hearing has worsened in recent years, he will continue to be the voice for the Church in Hong Kong and China.

My last thought before I close on my first long post... To my delight, Hong Kong, with its role as the Bridge Church to China, has unofficially become a "cardinalatial see".

And now a video of the Zen: