From June 2 to June 8 Fr. Charles Phukuta, Superior General of the CICM missionaries, guided a delegation on a pilgrimage to China to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the death of CICM Founder Theofiel Verbist who died in Laohugou (Hebei Province) in 1868. Members of the delegation were Br. R. Stockman FC Superior General, Fr. Mathew Vattamattan CMF Superior General, Fr.Ador Castillo CICM Vicar General, Fr. Jeroom Heyndrickx CICM founder and former director of Verbiest Foundation-Leuven (Belgium) and Fr. Francesco Carin CMF, the present director of Verbiest Foundation which organized the pilgrimage. The delegation was welcomed in Beijing by the 3 leading bishops of the Chinese Bishops Conference: Bishop Ma Yinglin, Bishop Shenbin and Bishop Guo Jincai. Together they celebrated 35 years of cooperation between the Conference and Verbiest Foundation. This cooperation consists of two programs: academic research by Verbiest Institute at KULeuven (Belgium) and cooperation in the pastoral field through the Chinese College in Leuven (Belgium). Both programs are developing every year. In their meeting they explored ways to increase the cooperation during the coming years.
In each local Church the delegation presented gifts of the Church of Belgium: a 100-year-old monstrans (used during adoration of the Blessed Sacrament) or a ciborium (used for distributing the Eucharist). Fr. Phukuta explained: “It is in and through the Eucharist that we must develop and protect our unity in one Faith”. This gesture was repeated successively in Laohugou (Tiger Valley Village, Hebei), where Founder Verbist died, in Xiwanzi (Chongli, Heibei Province) where he had started his mission, in Wumeng (Jining, Inner Mongolia), and in Hohhot (Inner Mongolia). The gesture was understood very well and appreciated by the local Christians as an invitation to develop internal unity. The jointly singing and praying of the Our Father prayer moved each community deeply.
< Fr. Phukuta CICM Superior General and his delegation were received by Bishops Ma Yinglin, Shen Bin and Guo Jincai at the Bishops Conference in Beijing
After concelebrating Sunday Mass in Nantang Cathedral the delegation went to visit four former CICM dioceses in Northern China. In each of the dioceses they prayed with the local community. Superior General Charles Phukuta spoke to the Christians and shared with them the spirituality of CICM Founder Verbist expressed in two phrases : “for the one who loves, nothing is difficult” and “we must remain united One Heart One Soul”. He invited Christians to learn this spirituality in order to build the Chinese Church of the future. He also promised to continue the old friendship with China which was developed by 679 CICM missionaries who worked in the whole North of China after 1865. 250 of them died and lay buried in China. “CICM has a family relationship with China” Phukuta said.In each local Church the delegation presented gifts of the Church of Belgium: a 100-year-old monstrans (used during adoration of the Blessed Sacrament) or a ciborium (used for distributing the Eucharist). Fr. Phukuta explained: “It is in and through the Eucharist that we must develop and protect our unity in one Faith”. This gesture was repeated successively in Laohugou (Tiger Valley Village, Hebei), where Founder Verbist died, in Xiwanzi (Chongli, Heibei Province) where he had started his mission, in Wumeng (Jining, Inner Mongolia), and in Hohhot (Inner Mongolia). The gesture was understood very well and appreciated by the local Christians as an invitation to develop internal unity. The jointly singing and praying of the Our Father prayer moved each community deeply.
Diocesan administrator of Wumeng (Jining) Fr. Anthony Yao Shun receives the old monstrans from the hands of the CICM Superior General Charles Phukuta >
Belgian Ambassador Marc Vinck and members of the embassy of Belgium in Beijing have shown their sympathy to the initiative of this pilgrimage by participating personally in part of the program. At the end the ambassador welcomed the delegation at the embassy. In the presence of many invited guests the ambassador handed the decoration of Commander of the Order of the Crown conveyed by His Majesty King Philip of Belgium to Fr. Jeroom Heyndrickx cicm, founder and honorary director of Verbiest Foundation for his many initiatives to develop friendship between China and Belgium during his 35 years as founder and director of Verbiest Foundation-Leuven (Belgium).