The mission of Shangqiu, Henan, China, now a century old, is the germ and the cause for which the Augustinian Recollects have served, many years later, the Chinese faithful in Madrid, and have allowed the contact of the Augustinian-Recollect Family with Chinese culture in Spain.
According to statistics (2023), more than 200,000 Chinese live in Spain; in 1961 there were just over a hundred. Following a worldwide trend of migratory expansion from the People’s Republic, from the 1990s onwards, and even more so in the present century, their presence increased progressively and considerably.
Madrid is the city where this presence is most noticeable, with an entire neighbourhood (Usera) and an industrial estate (Cobo Calleja, Fuenlabrada) filled with their homes and businesses, very visible on street signs or in the physical characteristics of passers-by.
In China, Catholics are a small minority, a percentage that is transferred to its migrants. Upon arriving in Spain, the few Chinese Catholics found a large Catholic community, churches and abundant religious services. But the great difficulty was the language. First-generation migrants did not feel comfortable celebrating their faith in a language that they rarely used; Chinese, even outside their country, tend to live with and among Chinese.
A small group, twelve people, spontaneously decided to meet to pray in the house of some missionaries near the Plaza de Manuel Becerra; occasionally a Chinese priest studying in Salamanca, G. Z., celebrated the Eucharist for them; but, three months later, he put them in contact with a Chinese Augustinian Recollect resident in Madrid, José Y. T. His presence in the city facilitated more regular access to the sacraments in their language.
The Chinese Recollect proposes to his Recollect community of Saint Rita the possibility of offering liturgical services to Chinese Catholics in the parish facilities, a request that is accepted. Since September 27, 2007, there are regular Masses in Chinese.
Owners or workers of local shops, restaurants and businesses open seven days a week with very long attention hours, the lifestyle does not make it easy for Chinese Catholics to go to church. Less than ten attended the first Mass at Saint Rita; word of mouth brings about 30 in a few weeks; and on Christmas Day 2007 they reach a hundred.
Another Chinese Augustinian Recollect religious, Juan María G. K. P., joins the pastoral service, first from his community of La Elipa and since 2009 in Saint Rita itself, the community to which he is assigned. In 2009, the Recollects manage to spiritually care for about 400 Chinese faithful.
Soon other services are added based on the needs of the faithful. For their integration, more than 300 people learn Spanish in courses offered by the Parish; there is also legal advice, translation support for going to the doctor…
In 2010 and until 2014 another Chinese Recollect religious, Juan G. H. C., coordinated the pastoral services, helped by a Spanish Recollect who had worked for almost half a century in Taiwan, Manuel Piérola.
In 2011, after several meetings with the Delegate for Migrations of the Archdiocese of Madrid, Antonio Martínez, a Chinese Chaplaincy was officially established in Madrid, with headquarters in Saint Rita and the commitment to strengthen care in the parishes of Christ the King and Our Lady of Solitude in Usera, where the Recollects usually go.
The Chaplaincy is built as a community in which life and faith are shared and whose members support each other. Meetings, cultural events and excursions are organized, as well as parties in the most special celebrations of the liturgical calendar.
Readers, singers, acolytes, catechists, and ministries of service are offered by the most committed faithful. The presence of the Congregation of the Augustinian Recollect Missionaries and other Chinese sisters from various Congregations in Madrid brings new female collaborators.
The strength of the Chaplaincy in Madrid attracts Chinese Catholics from places like Valencia or Bilbao, who request care. A Chinese Recollect from the community of the Saint Agustine House of Formation in Las Rozas, Juan Y. Z. X., begun to care for them through various trips.
The Chaplaincy is also integrated into the network of national Chaplaincies of the Archdiocese of Madrid, with meetings of chaplains and access to common services and to a whole network of support for migrants in general.
In 2014, a new chaplain was appointed, the Augustinian Recollect Guillermo Z. W., with the collaboration of Manuel Piérola and, since 2016, Juan Y. Z. X., who was transferred to the community of Saint Rita and can thus also visit Usera more frequently.
In 2017, the decision was made to move the headquarters of the Chinese Chaplaincy to the Parish of Our Lady of Solitude in Usera. The decision was based on the best care for the faithful, most of whom live in that area. The archbishop appointed a Chinese parish vicar who will be in charge of the coordination and management of the Chaplaincy.
The Recollects continue to collaborate: until 2021, José G. Y. G. and, currently, Pablo M. Y. C. and Pablo J. Y. X., members of the communities of Las Rozas and Saint Rita, respectively. In Saint Rita, the Eucharists in Chinese continue, meetings with young people are organized, celebrations of important festivities, spiritual exercises…
It has been 17 years of a rich history of experience and faith in the Chinese Chaplaincy in Madrid. Chinese faithful can live their faith with great commitment and feeling part of the Church, in their own language, but not closed off or without connection to the local Church, strengthening ties with the Parishes. In recent times, even a group of Chinese women participating in the Chaplaincy have been interested in participating in the Augustinian-Recollect Secular Fraternity.
The Augustinian Recollects who carry out their ministry in Madrid feel in communion with those who serve the Shangqiu mission in Henan, China. The fact that this historic mission, which is now a century old, has remained alive is the germ and the reason why in Madrid it has been possible to serve the Chinese faithful years later; and the presence of Chinese Recollects has allowed spaces for dialogue, understanding, attention and knowledge of Chinese people in Spain who, otherwise, would have had difficulty having contact with the Augustinian-Recollect Family.
