Dong’ergou is one of the oldest parish in Taiyuan Diocese. It is located in the Jinyuan District about thirty kilometers south of Taiyuan. Catholicism arrived in Taiyuan in 1633. The Catholic faith was introduced into Dong’ergou for more than 220 years. The Seven Sorrows Hill is one of the most famous Marian Shrines in China.
About a hundred years ago, every year during the autumn equinox, a time when crops are to be harvested, the area suffered hail storms which destroyed the crops. Since all the villagers were Catholics, they decided to pray to God for relief. The priest led the villagers, carrying the cross, and climbed up the hill to pray to God to relieve them of the annual hail storm. Since then, the hail storms ceased and people’s livelihood was protected.
“At the Cross her station keeping, stood the mournful Mother weeping, close to Jesus to the last.”
IN 1924, the faithful of Dong’ergou built a church on the hill. The pope of the time, Pius X, had moved the feast of Seven Sorrows to September 15, the day after the Veneration of the Holy Cross. Since the faithful at Dong’ergou had venerated the Cross since the hail storm ceased, they name the hill “Seven Sorrows Hill.”
During the Cultural Revolution, the church on Seven Sorrows Hill was totally demolished. Faithful could pray only underground. With the reform policies of the later government, all the pastors were concerned with rebuilding of the church. In 1992 Fr. Li, with the support of the Bishop of Taiyuan, started the reconstruction of a grand church of Our Lady of Sorrows. The church and altar were to be in traditional Chinese styles. After five years and nine months of hard work, on September 15, 1998, the church of Our Lady of Sorrows and the Temple of Heaven were consecrated. During the Mass of Consecration, the Papal Blessing from John Paul II was read.
In accordance with the spirit of Second Vatican Council, Our Lady of Seven Sorrows was changed to Our Lady of Sorrows. The sorrows and sufferings of Our Lady is a true expression of the life of our Virgin Mother. Our Lady, totally immersed in the pain, the suffering of Jesus Christ, suffered more than the seven sorrows. For the continued protection of Our Lady, the bishop led the priests and the faithful to celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows twice a year, one on the Friday before Palm Sunday and one on September 15 of each year. Besides these two important dates, pilgrims come to the shrine from May 10 to 13 of each year and on the first Saturday of each month.
Reference: Father. Anh Thu Tran (John the Baptist),C.S.J.B., Marian Shrines in China, Published by St. Francis Xavier Church (Chinese Community),Vancouver, BC. Canada,2009.
Address: St Francis Xavier Parish, 428 Great Northern Way, Van.,BC,V5T 4S5,Canada, Tel 1-(604)254-2727, E-mail address: jbtat@yahoo.com
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