The Catholic Churches of Changchun

Changchun, Jilin, China

Changchun, the capital of Jilin, has been a Catholic center in northeastern China since the 19th century. The province of Jilin, land of forests and plains, has maintained a faithful Catholic community despite persecution.

History of evangelization in Jilin

The province of Jilin was evangelized together with Heilongjiang under the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Manchuria, established in 1898. The missionaries of the Society of Foreign Missions of Paris (MEP) were the main drivers of evangelization in the region.

The construction of the Transmanchurian Railway facilitated the arrival of missionaries and the spread of the Catholic faith. Changchun, as a strategic railway knot, became an important center of missionary activity.

The iglesia de Changchun

The main Catholic church in Changchun was built in the early 20th century by French missionaries. The building, of a modest neo-Gothic style, has served as the center of Catholic life in the city for more than a century.

Persecution and survival

During the Cultural Revolution, the church of Changchun was closed and desecrated. However, the clandestine Catholic community kept faith alive. After the religious opening of the 1980s, the church was restored and returned to veneration.

Changchun today

At present, the Catholic community of Changchun is still active under government restrictions. The church celebrates regular masses and is the center of Marian devotion for the faithful of Jilin.