Nanxiong Catholic Church

Nanxiong Catholic Church

Nanxiong Catholic Church is a cultural tourism attraction.

The Nanxiong Catholic Church dates back to the 17th year of the Wanli era in the Ming Dynasty (1589). When the Italian Matteo Ricci passed through Nanxiong on his way to the capital, he converted five locals to Christianity in the city. In the 20th year of the Kangxi era in the Qing Dynasty (1681), French Catholic Father Ma came to Nanxiong to preach. Subsequently, missionaries from the Salesians of Italy, Hungary, and Yugoslavia were sent to Nanxiong to preach. In the 9th year of the Yongzheng era (1731), a Catholic church was first established in what is now downtown Nanxiong. Starting from the 29th year of the Guangxu era (1903), French Fathers Tang, Ke Jialu, and others successively set up six Catholic churches in rural areas such as Longgou Lane, Jinggang, Likou Bridge, Yangmeikeng, Longpetang, and Changpu Bridge. A medical clinic was also established in the city, and one Xiaoming Primary School was set up in both Jinggang and Likouqiao.

The Nanxiong Catholic Church belongs to the Nan-Shao-Lian Diocese. In the past, missionaries traveled from village to village preaching. After converting a group of believers, these believers would then encourage others to come to the church to listen to sermons. Those who wished to join the faith were first given books such as the Bible and the Catechism, and then examined in person by a priest. Those who passed were baptized, given a Christian name, and became Catholics. On Sundays, urban believers were required to attend Mass at the church, though this was not mandatory for rural believers. Major feast days such as Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost saw all believers in the city gather for prayer, with rural believers also expected to attend; food and lodging were provided by the church. The Catholic Church also undertook charitable activities, such as running a medical clinic to provide free treatment for the poor and supporting underprivileged children in their education.

After the reform and opening-up, in order to implement the Party’s religious policies, in October 1987, the Nanxiong Catholic Patriotic Association and the Nanxiong Catholic Affairs Committee were established respectively, and the church was restored for believers’ activities. There are now over 900 believers. In 1994, a new Catholic church was built in the eastern part of the city, covering a total area of 1,462 square meters. It was completed in August 1995.