The 100th anniversary of the consecration of China
Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) urges friends and benefactors to join in prayer for the Church in China on May 24th.
May 2024 marks the 100th anniversary of the consecration of China to the Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title of Our Lady of China, Queen of the Chinese People in Heaven.
One year after this consecration, the construction of a St. Mary’s Basilica in Sheshan began, on top of a hill approximately 22 miles outside of Shanghai. It has since become a popular pilgrimage site for Catholics, featuring several churches and the Marian basilica. Each year, on May 24th, 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 24th, 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 to 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 in 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 killings and destruction.
As we commemorate the 100th anniversary of the consecration of China, Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) invites all benefactors and friends to pray for strength and grace for the Church and Christians in China. Despite governmental constraints and surveillance, thousands of pilgrims flock to Sheshan every May to pray to honor the Blessed Mother. Their unwavering devotion is a testament to the enduring strength of the country’s Catholic community. May that same faith continue to inspire believers worldwide:
“Our Lady of Sheshan, sustain all those in China,
who, amid their daily trials, continue to believe, to hope, to love.
May they never be afraid to speak of Jesus to the world,
and of the world to Jesus.
In the statue overlooking the Shrine you lift your Son on high,
offering him to the world with open arms in a gesture of love.
Help Catholics always to be credible witnesses to this love,
ever clinging to the rock of Peter on which the Church is built.
Mother of China and all Asia, pray for us, now and forever. Amen!”
—Maria Lozano
