Wuhan – A total of 23 bishops from nine Chinese provinces participated in the first spiritual retreat of 2026 from April 13 to 18, focusing on the theme “Encounter with the Lord, a Synodal journey.”
The retreat, held at the South Central China Seminary for Philosophy and Theology in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei Province, was led by Father John Baptist Zhang Shijiang, founder of the communication platform “Xinde.org” and head of China’s leading Catholic aid organization, “Jinde Charities.”
Father Zhang structured his meditations around four sub-themes: “Letting go and emptying oneself for inner reflection,” “Putting out into the deep toward maturity ,” “Loving the Lord deeply in full communion with Him ,” and “Healthy and balanced friendship .” He also encouraged those present to reflect on their spiritual lives, pastoral ministry, and personal discipline, referring to the “Thematic Education” campaign initiated by the civil authorities.
Joseph Shen Bin, Bishop of the Diocese of Shanghai, also participated in the retreat and celebrated the closing Mass.
At the end of the spiritual retreat, the bishops expressed their gratitude for the profound meditations, which had helped them recognize the connection between the lives and ministries of the Holy Apostles and their own pastoral ministry and spiritual lives. The meditations also linked traditional Chinese culture with the Christian faith, offering a contemporary, biblically grounded response to pressing needs and problems related to the administration of church institutions and assets, far from any tendency toward excess and corruption. During the retreat, the bishops present were able to share their doubts and concerns, which sometimes weigh on them, and to dedicate themselves with renewed zeal to the mission of proclaiming the Gospel in their respective contexts.
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