Dear Parishioners,
 
Some major developments have been happening with the Catholic church's relationship with the Chinese government.  Last fall, Pope Francis signed off on a historic "provisional agreement" with the People's Republic of China over the appointment of bishops in that nation.  The accord broke a 70 year impasse between Beijing and the Vatican.  The exact contents of the agreement will be kept secret; however, it appears that the Chinese government will have a voice in the selection of bishops, but Pope Francis will have the final say.  As part of the agreement, the Vatican will reconcile seven "illegitimate" Chinese bishops who were ordained without Papal approval.  It is the first such agreement between the Vatican and China since the Communist Party came to power in 1949.  This agreement is a first step.  A hope for the future is for full diplomatic relations with the Vatican and Beijing. This would greatly help the Catholic Church in China, but it would also help the Chinese government as well.  China is one of the few countries in the world that does not have diplomatic relations with the Vatican.  This is a dubious distinction shared with Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, and North Korea.  Even Iran has an apostolic nunciature.  Despite the legacy of persecution, the Catholic population has grown from about 3 million in 1949 to about 11 million today.  Could there be a Papal visit to China in the not too distant future? Stay tuned!
 
New figurines for our manger scene .... Please see the announcement inside this bulletin regarding donations to defray the cost of the figurines.
 
Please note that our church office will be closed on Monday, in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. day.
 
Many thanks. God Bless You, Fr. Paul J. Alciati