In 2007, Pope Benedict XVI designated May 24, the feast of Our Lady Help of Christians, as the Worldwide Day of Prayer for the Church in China. Since this declaration was made, the faithful make annual pilgrimages to the Basilica in Sheshan on May 24 to honor the apparition of Our Lady of China and recite the Prayer to Our Lady of Sheshan. This past March, Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, archbishop of Yangon (Myanmar) and president of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences, called for the expansion of the day of prayer to a Week of Prayer for the Church in China to be observed May 23-30, 2021. Bishop David J. Malloy of Rockford, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on International Justice and Peace, voiced his support for Cardinal Bo in his appeal for prayers for the Church and the peoples of China.

Bishop Malloy’s full statement follows:

“On March 14, 2021, Cardinal Bo, the archbishop of Yangon in Myanmar, called for an expansion of the day of prayer to a full week, to be observed May 23-30. Given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, His Eminence asked that prayers be offered not only for the Church but ‘to protect all humanity and therefore the dignity of each and every person in China.’

“Recognizing China’s growing global power, Cardinal Bo has expressed his hope that through these prayers, China ‘may become a force for good and a protector of the rights of the most vulnerable and marginalized in the world.’ Similarly, Pope Francis has also affirmed his prayers for Catholics in China, acknowledging their difficulties, assuring them of his daily prayers, and exhorting them to be good citizens, ‘to make a prophetic and constructive contribution born of their faith in the kingdom of God.’

“In unity and great love, let us join with the Church universal in our prayers to Our Lady Help of Christians, for China.”