The Commission for Clergy and Religion of the Chinese Regional Bishops' Conference (Taiwan) held a national gathering of priests on October 16–18.
The Diocese of Taichung organized the event at Xiangyuan Cultural Travel Leisure Park.
More than 70 priests from seven dioceses attended the program.
Bishop Martin Su Yao-wen of Taichung welcomed the priests and thanked them for their pastoral zeal and commitment.
The national gathering of priests is a time for communion among priests. It is also an avenue for spiritual sharing and renewing one’s pastoral zeal to be at the service of the church and people, the prelate said.
Bishop Su also encouraged everyone, saying, "God created us for love; we imitate Jesus and the saints commemorated by the Church today.”
Quoting Saint Ignatius of Antioch, the prelate said, "I am the Lord's wheat, ground into fine powder by the teeth of the beast, and became bread for God's sake, and I cooperated with God's grace to open his life.”
During the dinner, Taichung Diocesan Priests Band and St. Chicqi Strings Orchestra, respectively, brought a variety of music feasts with different styles.
After dinner, Father Jandelong shared his 50 years of priestly life on the topics of "obedience, discernment, and trust in the grace of God."
Priests visited the top 10 libraries voted for in Taiwan. One of the noted libraries is the Gaixia Library, which has a variety of rich books, a comfortable and warm reading space, and digital hardware and software.
On October 17, priests went south to Changhua and visited Luohu Jesus Holy Name Church, the birthplace of the Taichung Diocese.
The church's parish priest, Father Zhang Zhisheng, nuns, and parish friends warmly welcomed the guests.
Principal Xu Renhong gave a brief introduction to the history of the parish, which is the centuries-old antiquities that bear witness to the beauty of the heritage of faith.
The priests visited other parishes and church institutions. It was an occasion to hear the testimony of charity in the local church.
On the third day, October 18, the delegates visited several places of historical importance.
During a Thanksgiving Mass, Bishop Su urged everyone, saying, "Today is the celebration of St. Luke. Through the preaching and writings of St. Luke, we reveal God's great love for mankind, so that through our preaching and service, those who have not yet known the true way can know and receive the salvation of God's love and can love and help one another, unite, and share peace."
The Diocese of Chiayi will host the subsequent national gathering of priests in 2024.
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