Marian devotion
← Back to Taiwan's Marian Advocations
In Futian, within the traditional Amis territory of Tafalong, a church bears the Chinese name The Holy Mother's Cathedral.: Mary as a maternal intercessor, always subordinated to the only saving mediation of Jesus Christ. The life of this parish is deeply linked to the song, community memory and the history of the Amis people.
Chinese name: The Holy Mother of Toda.
Common translation: Church of Mary Mediator; traditionally, Mediator of All Graces.
Place: 16 Futian First Street, Guangfu, Hualien County.
Community: Tafalong, one of the great historical settlements of the Amis people.
Mission start: 1954; the parish memory places its consolidation in 1955.
Jurisdiction: Catholic diocese of Hualien, decanate of Guangfu.
Pastoral recognition: Jubilee church during the 2016 Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy.
The arrival of the mission to Tafalong
The historical research of the National Museum of Natural Sciences places the first Catholic contacts in the area in the early 1950s. Father Wang Bu-rong, destined for the school of Beifu, began to announce the Gospel, and Father Bao Wan-cai visited the region. The relief action following the 1951 Hualien earthquake also opened the way to meeting several isolated communities.
The international ecclesial record dates the parish in 1954. The community celebrated its sixtieth anniversary in May 2015, a memory that points to the consolidation and construction of the temple around 1955. By not exactly matching the two chronologies, it is more rigorous to keep both: the mission was born in 1954 and took a stable parish form by 1955.
A Marian title to be understood from Christ
The traditional name honors Mary's maternal intercession. However, the Church teaches that Jesus Christ is the only Mediator and the source of all grace. Mary does not distribute spiritual goods outside of Him, nor does she add anything to the effectiveness of redemption.
The doctrinal note Mater Populi fidilispublished by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith in 2025, he asked for special caution with the formula "Mediator of all graces." It can be preserved as a historical title if it is explained correctly: Mary pleads for her children, leads them to Christ and cooperates in a maternal way, always receiving everything from God.
Tafalong and the Amis people
Tafalong is a community of ancient history. Their families retained their own forms of organization, celebrations, agricultural work, oral memory and music. The sources describe a traditionally matrilineal society, where women have a central place in family and community continuity.
The parish is part of that living reality. This is why indigenous identity should not be presented as a simple decoration of a church: the temple is inserted into a specific community, with its language and history prior to the arrival of the Catholic mission.
Singing as community prayer
A chronicle of the Catholic Voice association identifies the Tafalong choir with the parish of Futian. In his performances, a prayer sung to Mary joins community-specific compositions, harvest songs and polyphonic forms in which the whole group participates.
Music expresses praise, but also a way of understanding the relationship with earth, work and celebration. The most authentic Christian inculturation does not erase these voices: it allows faith to be prayed and sung from them, always with respect for those who guard its meaning.
Sixty years, reparation and mercy
The 2015 celebration brought together faithful and visitors for the Eucharist, a Marian procession and the worship of the Most Holy. The parish had suffered from the wear of successive natural phenomena and needed a community effort to repair and raise funds.
The following year it was included among the Jubilee churches of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy. This condition was temporary and pastoral; it does not automatically turn the temple into a permanent sanctuary, but it testifies to its importance for the diocese and for the pilgrims of the region.
Verified location
The directory of the diocese confirms the direction 16 Futian First Street, Guangfu. GCatholic proposeciona el código individual 7QM3MC5X+F3, the centre of which is 23.6586875, 121.4476875. The point is within the parish area of Futian in the Tafalong area.
To visit
The church continues to be a place of worship for a real community. The schedule should be confirmed before you go. The celebrations, songs, people and cultural symbols of amis should not be photographed, recorded or disseminated without consent. Respect begins by listening to and avoiding turning community life into a show.
Prayer to Mary in Futian
Holy Mary, Mother of Jesus and our mother, accompanies the families of Tafalong. Always lead us to your Son, the only Savior and source of all grace. It protects the language, the songs and the memory of the Amis people; it comforts those who suffer the wounds of earthquakes and seasons, and it strengthens those who care for this church. Make our prayer become mercy and service. Amen.
Sources consulted
- Diocese of Hualien: title and direction of the parish.
- GCatholic: chronology, jurisdiction, retirement status and geolocation.
- National Museum of Natural Sciences: missionary history and context amis.
- Catholic Voice: Tafalong choir, Marian song and community tradition.
- Local Chronicle of the sixtieth anniversary and temple repair.
- Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith: meaning and limits of the title "Mediator".
Is the advocation of the Virgin Mary of your people missing?
Si no encuentras la advocación mariana de tu ciudad o pueblo, cuéntanosla: la investigaremos para ubicarla y darla a conocer en este mapa del amor de la Madre por el mundo.
Propose an apvocation →