Friday, 24 May, marked the centenary of Chinese bishops entrusting their country to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

 

Despite governmental constraints and surveillance, thousands of pilgrims were expected to flock to Sheshan Basilica, 22 miles outside of Shanghai to celebrate the event.

 

Catholic prelates consecrated the East Asian nation to Our Lady of China, Queen of the Chinese People in Heaven in 1924.

 

The construction of a new basilica began the following year. The Marian Shrine has since become a popular pilgrimage site for Catholics, who make their way there for the Feast of Our Lady of Sheshan, Help of Christians on 24th May each year.

 

Jesuit missionaries first settled on the hill and built a chapel on its summit in 1863.

 

In 1870, during the massacre of missionaries and Chinese Christians in Tianjin, Father Gu Zhen Sheng, the superior of the Jesuits in Shanghai, prayed to the Blessed Mother in Sheshan.

 

The priest promised that "if the vicariate is spared from the attack, we will build a basilica and express our gratitude for the special protection of Our Lady", and Christians in the region were subsequently left unharmed, with hostilities ending a year later.

 

On 24th May the following year Bishop Languillat of Shanghai laid the foundation stone of a basilica dedicated it to Mary, Help of Christians.

 

A new basilica started to be built in 1925 to accommodate the growing number of pilgrims. It was dedicated in 1935.

 

On 24 May 2007, Pope Benedict XVI called for prayers for the Church in China, emphasizing the significance of the National Shrine to Our Lady of Sheshan.

 

The pope encouraged believers worldwide to pray for the unity of the Church in the country and demonstrate their solidarity and support for Chinese Christians.

 

To commemorate the centenary of the consecration, Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) is asking its benefactors to pray for the country's Catholics.

 

In China - excluding Hong Kong and Macau - there are an estimated 50-70 million Christians, including 10-12 million Catholics.

 

 

Exactly 100 years ago, in 1924, the bishops of China consecrated the land to Our Lady of China

The pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) urges its friends and benefactors to join in prayer for the Church and Christians in China on 24 May.

 

May 2024 marks the centennial anniversary of the consecration of China to the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title ‘Our Lady of China, Queen of the Chinese People in Heaven’ by the bishops of China.

 

One year after this consecration, the construction of a St. Mary’s Basilica in Sheshan began, on the top of a hill located approximately 35 km outside of Shanghai. It has since become a popular pilgrimage site for Catholics, featuring several churches and the Marian basilica. Each year, on May 24, the Feast of Our Lady of Sheshan, Help of Christians, is celebrated with great solemnity.

 

In 2007, Pope Benedict XVI called upon the global Church to pray for the Church in China on May 24, emphasizing the significance of the Marian sanctuary of Sheshan. He encouraged believers worldwide to pray for the unity of the Church in the country and demonstrate their solidarity and support for Chinese Christians.

 

The history of Sheshan dates back to 1863, when the first Jesuit missionaries settled on the hill and built the first chapel on its summit. During the massacre of missionaries and Chinese Christians in Tianjin, 1870, the superior of the Jesuits in Shanghai went to Sheshan and made a promise to the Blessed Mother: “If the vicariate is spared from the attack, we will build a basilica and express our gratitude for the special protection of Our Lady.” Miraculously, the region was indeed spared from the killings and the destruction.