Marian devotion
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The church of Our Lady of the Rosary of Yuli was one of the great starting points of the Catholic mission in the Huatung Valley. From it came priests and catechists to amis and bunun populations; over time, the contemplation of the Rosary was also translated into care for persons with disabilities, the elderly, the unemployed and families in difficulty.
Chinese name: The Temple of the Holy Virgin.
Common name: iglesia católica de Yuli.
Place: 166 Zhongshan Road, section 2, Yuli, Hualien.
Foundation: August 1953.
First impulse: Foreign missions from Paris, with local support.
Historical environment: Yuli, Zhuoxi and the western part of Ruisui.
Jurisdiction: Catholic diocese of Hualien.
Current dependent chapels: Yuancheng, Dayu y Changliang.
Party holder: October 7th.
Spirituality: Holy Rosary and service to vulnerable people.
Foundation in 1953
The parish was established in 1953 with the collaboration of a Catholic director of the Yuli secondary school and the work of missionaries of the Paris Foreign Missions. The municipal sources place their initial radio throughout Yuli, Zhuoxi and part of Ruisui, a rural and mountainous extension that forced long displacements.
The chronicle of Zhuoxi recalls that Father René Louage began evangelization that same year from Yuli. The faithful of Zhuoxi walked to this church to participate in the Mass before they could build their own temple in 1959. Yuli was thus a mother church of several later communities.
The Rosary as a School of the Gospel
The advocation focuses the parish life on the contemplation of Christ with Mary. St. John Paul II taught that the Rosary, although of a Marian character, is a deeply Christological prayer: each mystery leads to remember the birth, mission, Passion and glory of Jesus.
The title does not come from a local apparition. It is a parochial dedication that points to a method of prayer and a feast on October 7. Yuli must be distinguished from Caotun, Kaohsiung and other Taiwanese churches also dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary.
Mission between different peoples
The territory of Yuli brings together the amis, bunun, hakka, Taiwanese and other communities. The missionaries progressively understood the importance of learning indigenous languages. In this region, dictionaries, songs, liturgical texts and biblical materials were produced in amis and bunun.
The National Museum of Natural Sciences has documented this work through the history of three French priests linked to Yuli. His exhibition highlights both religious mission and linguistic preservation and social accompaniment, without denying that the true cultural protagonism belongs to the peoples themselves.
Father Yves Moal and forgotten people
Father Yves Moal, known in Taiwan as Liu Yi-feng, arrived in 1966 and was definitely destined for Yuli in 1986. From the parish he worked intensively with people with intellectual or physical disabilities, unemployed, elderly alone, homeless and vulnerable families.
It began a recycling activity with minimal resources to offer work and daily structure to excluded people. He later assumed the Saint Andrew centre for persons with disabilities. The national press described Yuli as a town without people left on the street thanks to this support network.
A parish that generates new communities
The vast original territory resulted in parishes and chapels closer to the population. Zhuoxi, Dongfeng, Chunjih and other places acquired their own life and particular Marian titles. The Yuli headquarters currently maintains the missions of Yuancheng, Dayu and Changliang.
This ramification explains why the map should record each verifiable temple separately: they share missionary history, but not leadership, patronage or local community.
Verified location
The diocesan directory and the municipality confirm 166 Zhongshan Road, section 2. GCatholic publishes cartographic code 7QM388P7 + CM; Wikidata fixes the building in 23.3360061, 121.3142789. Both references coincide in the same parish area.
To visit
The church continues to be active and linked to social services. The hours should be confirmed, the privacy of users and workers should be respected and vulnerable persons should not be photographed without express consent. A Christian visit must recognize his dignity rather than seek a striking image.
Prayer to Our Lady of the Rosary
Our Lady of the Rosary, accompanies the community of Yuli and all the peoples of the valley. Teach us to contemplate Jesus and to recognize him in those who live with disabilities, solitude or poverty. Bless those who keep their tongues, hold the rural chapels, and serve without being tired. Make our Rosary a life given to love. Amen.
Sources consulted
- Municipality of Yuli: foundation and historical extension of the parish.
- Diocese of Hualien: title, direction and dependent chapels.
- GCatholic: jurisdiction, missionary congregation and geolocation.
- Official history of Yuli: parish chronology.
- National Museum of Natural Sciences: mission, indigenous languages and social service.
- Taiwan Central News Agency: the social work of Father Liu Yi-feng.
- St. John Paul II, Rosarium Virginis Mariae: a Christological sense of the Rosary.
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