Xinxiang – Today, Friday, December 5, Francis Li Jianlin was consecrated Bishop of the Apostolic Prefecture of Xinxiang, at the church in the Nanmenli, in the city of Xinxiang, Henan Province.
The solemn episcopal consecration was presided over by Bishop Joseph Li Shan of Beijing. Concelebrating were Thaddeus Wang Yuesheng, Bishop of Zhengzhou; Joseph Zhang Yinlin, Bishop of Anyang; and Peter Jin Lugang, Bishop of Nanyang.
Father Joseph Yang Yu, Secretary General of the so-called “Chinese Catholic Bishops’ Conference,” read the Conference’s letter of approval before more than 20 priests from Henan Province and over 200 people who attended the consecration Mass, including religious sisters, lay people, and representatives of the civil authorities.
Li Jianlin was born on 9 July 1974 in the city of Huixian, Henan Province, to a family of Catholic tradition. From September 1990 to June 1999 he carried out his journey of formation and discernment with in preparation for the priesthood, first at the seminary of Zhengding and then the seminary of Yixian, Hebei, as announced today in a press release from the Holy See Press Office.
On 23 July 1999 he received priestly ordination from Bishop Nicola Shi Jingxian of Shangqiu, for the Apostolic Prefecture of Xinxiang. From July 1999 to 2000 he was parish priest of Qinyang. In 2000 he was appointed for the formation of seminarians and religious sisters in the district. Since 2011, he has served as parish priest in Jiaozuo. Pope Leo XIV—according to the bulletin of the Holy See Press Office—appointed him Bishop of the Apostolic Prefecture of Xinxiang on August 11, 2025, “having approved his candidature in accordance with the Provisional Agreement between the Holy See and the People’s Republic of China, and having accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the same Apostolic Prefecture presented by Bishop Joseph Zhang Weizhu.”
The History of the Apostolic Prefecture of Xinxiang
According to historical documents, the Catholic faith arrived in the modern era at the end of the 19th century in the Xinxiang region of northern Henan, thanks to Father Gerardo Brambilla, a missionary of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions . This region was also home to German and American Divine Word Missionaries. Father Brambilla, appointed by the Apostolic Vicar of North Henan, arrived in Wangcun Village in 1898 after a long journey that began in Weihui. His missionary work began with the construction of a small chapel. In 1904, at the end of the Qing Dynasty, several missionaries arrived in the region and began construction of a church dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes in 1911, which was completed two years later.
The local community was very active in charitable work and providing aid to the population during the black fever epidemic of 1934-1935. An American priest with medical knowledge organized a team of doctors who offered free diagnoses and treatments. During the smallpox epidemic of 1938, the population again escaped disaster thanks to the medical assistance provided by the missionaries. The missionaries also established the Wangcun school, while a convent of nuns began caring for abandoned children.
During the War of Resistance against Japan, the Church offered refuge to refugees from the north. A reception center was also established, which helped over 100,000 displaced people return to their homes.
In the 1950s, after the expulsion of foreign missionaries, all church buildings were confiscated by the county’s agricultural and livestock enterprise. It was not until 1991, following Deng Xiaoping’s policy of opening up, that the undamaged church property was returned to the Church, and pastoral activities gradually resumed. Today, the local Catholic community is also very active in charitable works and social and cultural initiatives. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the church communities of Xinxiang prayed daily for the residents of Wuhan, the city affected by the pandemic, and collected donations for them. Before the pandemic, the Catholics of Xinxiang enthusiastically participated in initiatives related to the Jubilee of Mercy and are currently experiencing the Holy Year of Hope with the same intensity.
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