Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Mianyang
Church in Sichuan, China
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Our Lady of Lourdes Church,[a] also known as Our Lady—Chapel of Lourdes, is a Roman Catholic church in the Diocese of Chengdu, situated on Yuquan Road, at the foot of West Hill Park in Fucheng District, Mianyang, Sichuan. The church is subjected to the control of the state-sanctioned Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association. Mary Zhang Yimei, a resident nun, is in charge of the church's daily affairs.[2][3]
| Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Mianyang | |
|---|---|
| Our Lady—Chapel of Lourdes | |
露德聖母堂 | |
Our Lady of Lourdes Church in 2021 | |
| Location | 71 Yuquan Road, Fucheng District, Mianyang, Sichuan |
| Country | China |
| Denomination | Catholic Church |
| History | |
| Status | Church |
| Dedication | Our Lady of Lourdes |
| Architecture | |
Functional status | Active |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Administration | |
| Archdiocese | Chongqing |
| Diocese | Chengdu |
| Clergy | |
| Bishop | Joseph Tang Yuange |
| Priest | Zhong Cheng[1] |
Architecture
Our Lady of Lourdes is a humble church built in white brick of the neo-Gothic style. Inside, the plan is that of a nave and two aisles on either side. The interior walls are simply whitewashed. Behind the altar is a white statue of the Virgin Mary with orange halo placed in a niche. A Lourdes grotto is located in the church courtyard, but strangely, the statue within the cave depicts the Immaculate Heart of Mary as described by Lúcia of Fátima.
Church activities
A pedagogical training course is held in the church every summer, targeting children and teenagers aged 7–18,[4] as well as some missionary training courses being occasionally conducted by the church.[5] Teachers from Hong Kong have also been invited to give lectures on marriage, family and children's education.[6]
During the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, a transportation of grain and oil was carried out by the parish priest Zhong Cheng, along with Mary Zhang Yimei, another resident nun Zhan Dengju, and several Catholic volunteers. With three cars and a lorry, they passed through military and police checkpoints and reached the blocked area in Beichuan County to help the victims.[7][8]
Gallery
Exterior of the church
Interior of the church
Main altar
See also
Notes
- traditional Chinese: 露德聖母堂; simplified Chinese: 露德圣母堂; pinyin: Lùdé shèngmǔ táng; Wade–Giles: Lu4-tê2 shêng4-mu3 tʽang2; Sichuanese romanization: Lu4 Te5 Shen4 Mu3 Tʽang2.