Shijiazhuang – In the Catholic Diocese of Beijing, the new year is dedicated to the Word of God; in Ningbo, the Year of the Family has been launched; and in the Diocese of Handan, 2026 will also be devoted to pastoral initiatives focused on the Sacrament of marriage and the family. Many Chinese Catholic dioceses have decided to continue the path begun with the Jubilee of Hope and launch new “theme years” that will inspire pastoral planning for the next 12 months.
In the Diocese of Beijing, the faithful are invited in 2026 to deepen their faith life within their families and to foster the intergenerational transmission of faith, including through the shared reading of Holy Scripture. The motto chosen for the year dedicated to the Word of God is the verse from Psalm 119: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”
In this spirit, the Diocese of Ningbo has declared 2026 the “Year of the Family.” During his homily at the opening Mass of the Year of the Family, Bishop Francis Xaver Jin Yangke emphasized that the entire year should be lived with the desire to “rediscover the sacred mission of the family” by taking time within families for shared prayer and reading of Scripture, or by participating in the various initiatives of the Year of the Family. The Diocese of Handan is observing 2026 as the “Year of Marriage and the Family,” encouraging the faithful to take the Holy Family as their example. Through harmonious coexistence, mutual respect, and affection, Catholics are called to bear witness to their faith in daily life. Furthermore, the Diocese of Xi’An has opened the Year of Sacred Scripture. The Tangshan community has established the Year of the Good Shepherd, partly with the intention of reviving a sense of pastoral responsibility among priests and lay people, inspiring them to live out the spirit of “giving one’s life for the sheep.”
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