Our Lady of the Seven Dolores of Daxi - Mary by the cross in Tjatjigel

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In Daxi, within the Community territory of Tjatjigel and in front of the Pacific, a small church looks at Mary under the title of Our Lady of the Seven Dolores. Its interior links the Gospel with Paiwan memory through images, glass, wood, ceramics and stone worked from the community.

Tjatjigel before a point on the map

The church is located in Daxi, part of the village of Duoliang that the indigenous public documentation identifies as the Tjatjigel community, of the presence paiwan. The municipal administration describes Duoliang as a territory where different groups live together and where Paiwan and amis cultural activities continue to be held.

To name Tjatjigel avoids presenting the temple as an isolated building. It is a community church: its art, materials and pastoral life are born from concrete relations with families and territory.

A mission documented since 1957

The ecclesial repertoire records the church from 1957 and places it as a mission dependent on San José de Jinlun. A historical inventory of the architecture of the Belén Missionary Society relinks Daxi with that year.

A later local narrative offers 28 July 1959 as a founding date. By not having the act that explains the difference, this fact sheet retains 1957 as the date of ecclesial registration and does not make 1959 an equivalent certainty. It may correspond to a stage of construction, blessing or later organization.

The proposed enlargement in 1991

The National Museum of Prehistory conserves sixteen plans of expansion prepared in 1991 by the missionary brother and architect Julius Felder. The drawings distinguish the part that already existed from the new intervention and contemplate the expansion of the temple and a second floor.

This file allows you to read the current building as a result of several stages, not as a one-time work. It also links the church to the architectural legacy of the missionaries of Bethlehem in eastern Taiwan.

The Gospel and the Paiwan memory in the glass

Una crónica de Catholic Weekly describes two glass compositions on both sides of the input. One represents the biblical account of the origin of humanity; the other, a Paiwan tradition about origin. They are placed in dialogue, without one being presented as a simple decoration of the other.

Inside, the images of St. Joseph and the Virgin are natural in size and dress in clothing and paiwan. Male and female vessels are part of the visual background. These elements express faith through forms that are recognizable to the community.

Wood, slate and work of local artists

The bambon was carved from a longan root. The altar was built with local slate that a parishioner came down from his own mountain. The pieces incorporate stems inspired by indigenous culture and the source attributes the whole to the shared work of community artists.

Inculturation does not consist in adding exotic motives to a church. Here the materials have provenance, donor and memory. That is why they must be explained with respect and not separated from those who created them.

What the seven pains mean

The Directory of the Holy See on popular piety explains that the Christian tradition has recognized seven main episodes in the painful life of Mary: the prophecy of Simeon, the flight to Egypt, the loss of Jesus in Jerusalem, the encounter with Christ on the way to Calvary according to devotional tradition, the crucifixion and death of the Lord, descent and burial.

This form of prayer is also called Via Matris. It is not a biography independent of Mary: it always leads to the mystery of Christ, from the sword announced by Simeon to the cross and the tomb.

accompanying pain, not idealized suffering

St. John Paul II taught that Mary, together with her Son at the foot of the cross, uniquely shares the depth of her pain and love. That is why he entrusted the Doloreous to the sick, the suffering, the victims of injustice and the persecuted Christians.

The invocation does not invite you to seek suffering or to endure injustices in silence. It called for the non-abandonment of those who suffered, for protection and justice, and for the maintenance of an active hope.

Verified location

The ecclesial direction is No. 141 of the 16th neighborhood of Daxi. The territorial code published for the temple is 7QJ2FW6Q+WJ, the centre of which is 22.4623125, 120.9390625. The marker is placed on the church enclosure and not on the generic center of the municipality of Taimali.

To visit

Daxi is located next to the south-eastern coast of Taiwan. As it is a small mission, it is appropriate to confirm prior hours and access with the parish of San José de Jinlun. The images of people, celebrations and cultural elements of Paiwan should be taken only with permission; the temple is not a decoration, but a living space of community prayer.

Prayer to Our Lady of the Seven Dills of Daxi

Holy Mary, a faithful Mother by the cross, accompanies the Tjatjigel community and those who go through pain, disease or loss. Teach us to stay close without invading, to comfort without empty words and to work for justice. Keep the memory, tongue and art of the Paiwan people; receive the work of those who raised this church and always bring us to your Son Jesus Christ. Amen.

Sources consulted

• GCatholic: title, historical record, direction, territorial code and ecclesial dependence.
• Catholic Weekly: Paiwan art, images, glass, ambon, altar and community materials.
• National Museum of Prehistory: 1991 expansion plans archive.
• Municipality of Taimali: territorial and cultural context of Duoliang and Daxi.
• Holy See: Directory on Popular Piety, Virgin Dolorosa and Via Matris.
• St. John Paul II: Mary by the cross and close to those who suffer.

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