The Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Chinese: 圣母圣衣堂), more often colloquially referred to as Xizhimen Church (Chinese: 西直门天主堂), is a Roman Catholic church located on the southern side at No. 130 of Xizhimen Neidajie in Beijing. It is commonly referred to as Xitang (西堂, the West Church) to the locals.
| Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Beijing | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 The church after restoration | |||
| Alternative Chinese name | |||
| Chinese | 西堂 | ||
| Literal meaning | The West Church | ||
| |||
History
editThe church at Xizhimen was the last among the four historic Catholic churches in Beijing. The West Church was first built in 1723 during the Qing dynasty by the Italian Lazarist missionary Teodorico Pedrini: it was the first non-Jesuit church in Beijing.
After Pedrini's death the church was run by Carmelites and then Augustinians, who were there when it was destroyed in 1811. The church was rebuilt in 1867. After a second destruction in 1900 during the Boxer Rebellion, it was built again in 1912 as we can see it today.
Delicate Corinth pillars and Gothic peaked arches inside the church create a grand, elegant and solemn impression upon visitors.[1]
There is red graffiti written on the church from the time of the Cultural Revolution, which the church deliberately retained.
Mass is conducted in French every Sunday at 11 a.m.[2]
Stone inscription
edit- D. O. M.
- TEODORICUS PEDRINI. PRESB. CONGR. MISS., INFAN-
- TIUM IMPERATORIS KANGHSI PRÆCEPTOR, AN. DOM. 1723
- HUNC FUNDUM PROPRIO ÆRE EMIT, IN EOQUE ECCLESIAM
- SUB AUSPICIIS SEPTEM DOLORUM B.M.V. DEO DEDICAVIT,
- QUÆ TEMPORE PERSECUTIONIS KIATSING (1811) FUNDI-
- TUS EST DESTRUCTA.
- POSTEA A.D. 1867, ILL. DD. MOULY, C.M., HIC NOVUM SA-
- CRUM ÆDIFICAVIT. QUOD DIE 15 JUNII 1900 BOXORES
- FLAMMIS TRADIDERUNT, DUM PAROCHUM ECCLESIÆ
- MAURITIUM DORE, C.M. SACERDOTEM CRUDELITER
- TRUCIDANT.
- TANDEM, ANNO DOMINI 1912 LARGITATE BENEMERITÆ
- ROSALIÆ BRANSSIER, SOCIETATIS PUELLARUM CA-
- RITATIS, TERTIA HÆC ECCLESIA SUB TITULO B.M. DE
- MONTE CARMELO ÆDIFICATA EST.
- IN QUORUM MEMORIAM ILL. DD. JARLIN, C.M., VIC. AP.
- PEKINESIS, HUNC LAPIDEM EREXIT.
References
edit- ^ "Xizhimen Catholic Church (Western Church)". China.org.cn. 2008-05-19. Retrieved 2022-08-20.
- ^ (in French) CHINE (86) - Aumônerie Générale des Français à l’Étranger Archived 2014-02-22 at the Wayback Machine some mass in China (french, chinese, english) from the french-speaking almoneries
See also
edit
- Wangfujing Cathedral (Dongtang)
- Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (Nantang)
- Xishiku Cathedral (Beitang)