Bishops, faculty, and seminarians across Beijing and Sichuan renew their mission to live and proclaim the Word of God as a new semester begins.
Newsroom (11/03/2026 Gaudium Press) At the dawn of the new academic term, the halls of China’s seminaries once again reverberated with prayer, reflection, and renewal. Following the Lunar New Year celebrations, seminarians in Beijing and Sichuan reassembled to begin the 2025/2026 semester—anew with zeal for faith and study, guided by exhortations deeply rooted in Scripture and pastoral calling.
In the Diocese of Beijing, Coadjutor Bishop Matthew Zhen Xuebin presided over the opening liturgy in the seminary chapel, marking both the beginning of the semester and a solemn milestone for second-year theology students who received the ministry of lector. The sacred ceremony was not only an academic commencement but a profound spiritual charge: to become, as Bishop Zhen reminded them, “living books” that bear the Word of God through their daily lives.
During his homily, Bishop Zhen called upon seminarians and faculty alike to embrace three spiritual priorities: strengthening faith, safeguarding vocation, and carrying the Word in their hearts. Drawing on the image of Mount Tabor, he urged the community to live in the radiance of faith even amid the limitations and impurities of worldly life. “Let the light of Christ,” he said, “illuminate every darkness we encounter.”
Before the start of classes, the seminarians had completed a four-day spiritual retreat themed “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch” (Luke 5:1–11), held from February 24 to 27. In meditative silence and guided prayer, they sought renewed courage to cast their lives into the deep waters of vocation. On February 28, as the Seminary family reconvened, the faculty presented the academic program for the semester—integrating theological study with the exhortation to follow Christ more faithfully.
Meanwhile, on March 8, the third Sunday of Lent, a similar rhythm of renewal was felt at the Seminary of Sichuan Province, where professors and students inaugurated their own academic term by sharing pastoral experiences from the Chinese New Year holiday. Seminarians reflected on their service in parishes—visiting the sick, assisting those in need, and engaging in the ordinary yet profound realities of pastoral ministry.
Father Tong Hengjiu, the seminary’s vice-rector, commended the students for weaving theory with lived witness, a synthesis at the heart of priestly formation. He praised their commitment to bringing the Word of God beyond the walls of the classroom, making theology come alive through acts of compassion and service.
Across both Beijing and Sichuan, the opening of the new semester carried a message that transcended geography: formation is not merely an intellectual pursuit but a transformation of the heart. To bear witness to the Word is to live it—amid study, ministry, and community—to become, as Bishop Zhen urged, a living testament that glorifies God and builds up the Church.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Fides News
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