Our Lady of Lourdes of Jilin - Marian Sanctuary of the Songhua River

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On a wooded hill by the Songhua River is the great shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes of Jilin. The white church, the Marian Grotto, the spring, the crucis and the seminary form a unique prayer set in the north-east of China. Destroyed in the 20th century and raised again by the community, he continues to receive pilgrims from different provinces.

A Lourdes in North-East China

The sanctuary occupies an elevation of the eastern shore of Songhua. The local documents recall that an old inscription called it "Our Lady's Hill," an expression that explains the popular use of "Marian Mountain." It is not just a church: topography, grotto and roads allow a true pilgrimage.

The image reproduces the Immaculate as it was contemplated by Saint Bernardite in Lourdes: white robe and veil, rosary and hands united in prayer. Invocation leads to Jilin the call of Lourdes to conversion, penance, prayer for sinners and closeness to the sick.

The birth of the sanctuary

The cultural history of Jilin dates the beginning of the whole 1920. The French priest Joseph Gu acquired an extensive plot of about 48,000 square meters and promoted the construction of the Marian hill, the grotto and the church. The ecclesial documentation expressly dates the temple in 1928; both dates are compatible if the beginning of the sanctuary is distinguished from the completion or consolidation of its church.

The historical church adopted a neo-Gothic language. Next to it was built a stone grotto inspired by Massabielle, with space for the altar and an image of Mary on the rock. A small nearby source was integrated into the popular devotion of the place.

The grotto and the path of the crucis

The grotto looks north and adapts to a steep slope. The image of the Virgin, about 1.35 meters, occupies a higher niche. Local sources indicate that it was performed in Lourdes. The compound invites silence and prayer, especially for the sick and for those seeking reconciliation.

To the south of the church, among the trees, are distributed the fourteen stations of the road crucis. In this way, Marian spirituality is linked to the Paschal mystery: the pilgrims accompany Christ in his Passion under the eyes of his Mother.

Destruction during the 20th century

The church and the grotto suffered a serious destruction during the political campaigns of the 1960s and 1970s. The sanctuary became ruins and for years it was unable to carry out its mission publicly. The loss affected both the architecture and the visible continuity of one of the most important Catholic pilgrimages in the north-east.

The memory of the community survived. When policies that allowed for the recovery of religious activity were reimplemented, Bishop Li Xuesong and the faithful promoted reconstruction.

The 1986 reconstruction

The works began in 1986. The church and the grotto were reconstructed in their historical sites and the stations of the crucis were incorporated. The present temple, white and of proportions contained, retains its Gothic profile, with a central tower and four minor turrets.

El 11 October 1988 The solemn opening and dedication of the restored sanctuary was celebrated. Bishop Zong Huaide presided over the ceremony, attended by ecclesial and civil representatives and about three thousand faithful from various parts of China.

Priestly formation next to the sanctuary

The hill also became a place of formation. In 1990 the first units of the philosophical-theological institute of the Catholic Church in Jilin were erected; in 1994 the complex was expanded with a three-storey building. The presence of the seminar unites the Marian pilgrimage with the preparation of those who serve pastoral communities in the north-east.

The present Catholic directory lists in the same enclosure the Marian mountain, the grotto, the church, the road to the crucis, the seminary, the institute and the ecclesiastical cemetery. This description confirms that the whole maintains its unity and religious function.

The 2018 renewal

After decades of use, moisture and ventilation had deteriorated the interior of the church. In 2018, new colored windows dedicated to eight scenes of Jesus' life were installed and paintings were performed at the bottom of the Marian image, the vault and the sacristy.

On September 17, 2018, priests and seminarians celebrated a Eucharist of thanksgiving for the conclusion of the works. The intervention respected the identity of the sanctuary and again emphasized that all devotion to Mary leads to contemplating the life of Christ.

Verified location

The current access is close to the Binjiang East Road crossing with rural road 038, about 280 meters west; the traditional direction is 206 Huashan Road. The Wan You Zhen Yuan directory publishes the GCJ-02 navigation point 43.8467865, 126.6095197.

After the reverse conversion to the WGS-84 system used by this map, the marker remains in 43.8445859, 126.6038983. The mathematical check returns exactly the original Chinese point by transforming it back to GCJ-02. The marker therefore represents the shrine's enclosure and not the cathedral in the centre of Jilin.

Spirituality of the sanctuary

The story of Jilin unites three signs. The grotto speaks of the humble prayer of Lourdes; the path of the crucis recalls that Mary accompanies Christ to the cross; and the reconstructed church bears witness to a faith able to rise after destruction.

Along with the great river of the north-east, the sanctuary invites you to bring before God the needs of the sick, the families and the Church, and to return from the pilgrimage with a more reconciled and helpful life.

Prayer to Our Lady of Lourdes of Jilin

Mary Immaculate, Lady of Lourdes, who welcomes your children by the Songhua River, listen to the prayer of those who pilgrim to Jilin. It comforts the sick, strengthens those who care for them and accompanies the seminarians and priests of the north-east of China. Teach us to follow Jesus on the way to the cross, to live in reconciliation and to serve with joy. Amen.

Sources consulted

• Wan You Zhen Yuan: Catholic directory, compound composition, direction and navigation coordinates.
• 2018 Catholic Chronicle: the date of the church, reconstruction and artistic renewal.
• Jilin Municipal Office of Culture and Tourism: history, architecture, grotto, reopening and environment.
• Jilin geographical guide: location next to the Songhua and continuity of the pilgrimage.

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