Chinese faithful from N.J. make pilgrimage to national shrine
The 19th annual Asian and Pacific Island Catholics Marian Pilgrimage was held by the Asian Affairs of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and the Asian and Pacific Catholic Network (APCN) on Saturday, May 7, 2022, at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.
After five planning meetings with leaderships of Asian Affairs of the USCCB, APCN, and other Asian communities, Sister Dong Hong Marie Zhang, liaison to the Chinese Community of the Archdiocese of Newark, invited a group of Chinese faithful from New Jersey to this pilgrimage for solidarity with other Asian communities.
The pilgrimage included welcoming drums by a Vietnamese youth group, a procession by the Knights of Columbus, and groups from different Asian countries displaying flower arches and banners. Other devotions included a Call to Prayer (spiritual dancing), the crowning of the Blessed Virgin Mary, multi-language rosary prayer, and the Holy Mass. The Most Reverend Mario E. Dorsonville, auxiliary bishop of Washington, D.C., was the principal celebrant.
Two Chinese priests invited by Sister Dong Hong joined the Mass as co-celebrants: Father Joseph Jin, a priest from Holy Redeemer Chinese Catholic Church in Philadelphia, Pa., and Father Fei Zhang, a student at Fordham University sponsored by Maryknoll. One of the six altar servers was from the New Jersey Chinese group. The group also participated in the procession, the 4th-decade luminous rosary prayer, and the 2nd intercession of Mass in Chinese.
“It is the first time our New Jersey Chinese Catholic group joined the annual Marian Pilgrimage with other Asian and Pacific Island communities,” Sr. Dong Hong said. “We are joyful and inspired by the solidarity with other Asian communities.”
To learn more about the Chinese Catholic Apostolate of the Archdiocese of Newark visit https://www.rcan.org/chinese-catholic-apostolate.
Featured image: The 19th annual Asian and Pacific Island Catholics Marian Pilgrimage was held by the Asian Affairs of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and the Asian and Pacific Catholic Network (APCN) on Saturday, May 7, 2022, at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. (Photo courtesy of Sister Dong Hong Marie Zhang)
