Marian devotion
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In Pudong, near the Huangpu course, the church of Our Lady of the Rosary of Fu Jia has one of the oldest Marian traditions in Shanghai. The temple, born in a community linked to the descendants of Xu Guangqi, became recognized as a pilgrimage sanctuary and continues to bear witness to the prayer of the rosary.
Advocation: Our Lady of the Rosary.
Local name: INTERVIEW · Fùjiā Méigu Ahmad Sángmong.
Place: 1115 Pundong Avenue, Yangjing, district de Pungdang, Shanghái, China.
Jurisdiction: Catholic diocese of Shanghai.
Roots of the community: the time of the Emperor Kangxi, between the 17th and 18th centuries.
Dedication to the Rosary: since 1880.
Current temple: concluded in 1920 and restored during the 1980s.
Recognition as a place of pilgrimage: 1928.
Party: October 7, Our Lady of the Rosary.
Devotional month: October, rosary month.
An ancient Catholic root in Pudong
Local history relates the beginnings of Fu Jia to Xu Jison of the wise and Catholic shanghainese Xu Guangqi, and with his descendants. During the time of Kangxi a Christian community was formed that received family help to raise and sustain a place of worship.
In the 19th century a church was built there that initially had Saint Anthony as patron. The name Fu Jia comes from the settlement or property of the Fu family where the temple was located. The community was growing, and in 1880 The extended church became dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary.
The temple of Our Lady of the Rosary
In 1890 a western church was built with a bell tower near the previous one. The temple that has reached us was concluded at 1920. Its neo-Gothic façade, crowned by a tower, made the Christian presence visible from the river routes and allowed for the reception of hundreds of faithful.
In the presbytery an image of the Virgin of the Rosary with the Child Jesus, made in France, is venerated. The iconography recalls that the rosary is a contemplation of Christ with Mary: his mysteries go through the Incarnation, public life, Passion and glory of the Lord.
Recognition as a pilgrimage sanctuary
En 1928the general master of the Order of Preachers in Rome approved Fu Jia as a place of Marian pilgrimage linked to the spirituality of the rosary and granted the corresponding indulgence according to the ecclesial discipline of the time. The church was also consolidated as one of the great Marian centers of the diocese of Shanghai.
Chinese Catholic guides gather Fu Jia, Sheshan, Tangmuqiao and Jinjiaxiang as the four historical places of Marian pilgrimage of the diocese. Fu Jia acquired a special relevance during October, a month traditionally dedicated to the rosary.
The grotto and the three pavilions
In 1934 a devotional set known as the three pavilions began to be made available to the south of the church: one dedicated to St. Joseph, one dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and a grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes. The joint presence of these devotions accompanied the journey of the pilgrims and placed Mary within the mystery of Christ and the Holy Family.
Damage and recovery
The bell tower was destroyed by artillery fire during the Shanghai fighting of 1937 and was rebuilt after the war. During the Cultural Revolution the cult ceased and the furniture, the tower and the devotional outer spaces disappeared or suffered serious damage.
The restoration began in 1983. The bell tower, about 23 metres, was rebuilt, and the pavilions were recovered during the following years. The reopening gave the community a place to celebrate the Eucharist, pray the rosary and transmit a memory that had survived repeated ruptures.
Verified location
The diocese of Shanghai and the local directories place the church in 1115 Pudong Avenue. The point of the establishment itself in Chinese cartography is published in GCJ-02 as 31.241997, 121,532173. converted to the international system WGS-84 used by this map, corresponds approximately to 31.244103, 121.527852; reverse geocoding confirms Pudong Avenue, in the Yangjing area.
The spiritual school of the rosary
The rosary unites the serene repetition of the avemaria with the contemplation of the Gospel. In Fu Jia, this prayer held generations who went through war, persecution and loss. The material reconstruction of the sanctuary also speaks of an inner reconstruction: to return to Christ, mystery after mystery, from the hand of his Mother.
Prayer to Our Lady of the Rosary of Fu Jia
Our Lady of the Rosary, Mother of Jesus and our Mother, receives the prayer of those who pilgrim Fu Jia. Save the families of Shanghai, strengthen those who keep faith in difficulty and teach us to contemplate the face of Christ in every mystery. May our words become life, service and peace. Our Lady of the Rosary of Fu Jia, pray for us. Amen.
Sources consulted
- Catholic Diocese of Shanghai: Sheet of Our Lady of the Rosary of Fu Jia.
- Diocese of Shanghai: directory of churches and schedules.
- Wan You Zhen Yuan: Catholic guide and four sanctuaries of Shanghai.
- Chinese Catholic Directory: direction and parish data.
- Ctrip: Cartographic establishment and Chinese coordinates.
- Historical synthesis with link to the diocesan file.
- Wikimedia Commons: Visual documentation of the temple.
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