St. Joseph Freinademetz Parish is a Catholic national parish based in Beijing, China, serving Germans living or visiting China. Founded in the 1980s and under the protection of St. Joseph Freinademetz, S.V.D., a missionary to China in the 19th century.
Video St. Joseph Freinademetz German National Parish, Beijing
The history of the German fellowship in Beijing
During the early 1980s, the Mass was celebrated in German by the Jesuit priest, Prof. Franz-Anton Neyer, S.J., who was head of the German Department of Studies at Sophia University in Tokyo during the 1980s and 1990s. He will travel to Beijing for every Mass. In 1987, a German-speaking priest became a pastor in the Beijing area and began offering regular church services in Germany. The German ambassador, Hanspeter Hellbeck, and his administration team welcomed all German-speaking Catholics warmly at the embassy. The following year the parish grows and grows.
The main points of the early days were:
- 1988 first recorded the First Holy Communion service with 8 children.
- 1988 the formation of Bible study groups.
- 1990 First Holy Communion is celebrated in St. Michael with 10 kids.
- 1992 first recorded the baptism and confirmation.
- 1996 The Right Pastor Dr. Hubert Luthe, Bishop of Essen, Germany, visited Beijing and confirmed 8 young people.
In the late 1990s, the original pastor went and the parish was then served by Father Benedict, and then Pastor Rotermann from Manila, Philippines. In times I hear it is possible to celebrate a first holy communion and to offer church services in Beijing on a regular basis.
In 2001 a Pastoral Council was formed and ecumenical cooperation with the German-speaking Protestant Congregation in Beijing, under Father Heinke's leadership, became stronger and stronger. The two churches formed an ecumenical bible study group, an ecumenical choir and a Taizà © -folkowship eco-group. Some ecumenical church services throughout the year and organizing ecumenical Bible Day become a common event in the city.
The pastor also attended the German-speaking German Annual Conference in Asia and organized this for about 10 participants during the Spring 2010 in Beijing. More highlights throughout history:
- 2006 Monsignor Prassel's visit, announcing that the parish will be placed under the protection of the newly canonized Saint Joseph Freinademetz.
- 2009 Archbishop's visit Dr. Ludwig Schick from Bamberg, Germany, led a delegation from the German bishop. He confirmed 11 young people on his way to visit.
- 2009 Pastor Michael-Heinrich Bauer is assigned to Beijing, serving German-speaking sessions in Shanghai and Beijing.
- 2010 Bauer gives 16 First Holy Communion children and confirms 7 young people. In the same year 2 people were baptized.
Recent activity of the congregation
The main purpose for the establishment of St. Parish Church Joseph Freinademetz is both a religious home for German-speaking Catholics in Beijing and provides a bit of German culture in China. This is a bridge and a point of contact for all foreigners who visit Beijing or live and work in the city area.
First of all, the parish offers the Mass every second Saturday night at the German embassy. But also the other Catholic sacraments allude to German-speaking foreigners. Each fall group with candidates for the first Holy Communion and confirmation was formed. Baptism, marriage, confession and extreme submission are offered upon request after contact with our father Michael-Heinrich Bauer. Furthermore, the congregation participated in cultural life in the German community in Beijing.
Parish protector Joseph Freinademetz came to China during the nineteenth century as a missionary and gave testimony to Jesus Christ, especially in Shandong Province, dying while caring for victims of typhus outbreaks. The parish is committed to its peaceful tradition and guidance and intends to stay together in harmony with other Christian congregations in China, and to follow up ecumenism. Therefore, there is a good and strong relationship with the German Protestant church in Beijing, with the local Beijing Archbishop, with several other Catholic congregations in Beijing and other Christian congregations in China.
Finally Parish St. Joseph Freinademetz fits in with the recent religious situation within the People's Republic of China.
Maps St. Joseph Freinademetz German National Parish, Beijing
References
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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