HONG KONG (UCAN): The region of Hebei in China recorded 4,446 baptisms over Easter, the highest number so far reported.

Provinces with over 1,000 on record include 1,593 in central Shanxi, 1,327 in southern Guangdong, 1,234 in northwestern Shaanxi, 1,169 in eastern Shandong, 1,168 in eastern Zhejiang and 1,097 in central Henan.

HONG KONG (UCAN): The retired Bishop Anicetus Wang Chongyi passed away in a Guizhou hospital on April 20 at the age of 98.
Father Peter Wang, from Huangguoshu parish in the bishop’s hometown, said that Bishop Wang had spent the month prior to his death under palliative care.

“His last Easter was spent in hospital,” Father Wang said.

The staff at St. Joseph’s Cathedral in Guiyang released a notice asking people to pray for the deceased bishop.

Bishop Wang was recognised by both the Vatican and the Chinese government.

HONG KONG (UCAN): Local officials in northeastern Heilongjiang province of China have moved to close down an unofficial Catholic community that had organised a Mass on April 20, a weekday.

A 10-second video clip circulated online showed several police arguing with people who were trying to stop them from detaining a lay community leader and Father Shen Yanjun, who began working at the Qingshan Church in Wudalianchi City seven months ago.
The video clip was later removed.

HONG KONG (SE): Although successive presidents of The Philippines have run the line that they will work to provide decent jobs for their people at home in order to prevent the mad exodus overseas, the fact is that the numbers keep increasing and the urge to get away becomes more desperate.

Believing that a lot more than money should be looked at before taking up a contract as a migrant worker in China, one Filipino has shared something of her experience of living and working on the mainland

I arrived in Central China two years ago in July and even though I can say that I am equipped with enough Chinese language to get around, I still find myself hiding my Filipino face in the obscure shadows of my identity.