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The Prior General and Council remember the figure of the Augustinian Recollect bishop Nicholas She

In the message to the whole Augustinian Recollect Family they say:

Bishop Nicholas She has been a providential religious for the revival of the Order in China and a clear-sighted bishop in the complex situation of the Catholic Church in China. His humaneness, discretion, capacity to respond and prudence enabled him to ever maintain a firm and respectful relationship with the authorities. His figure attracted many of his countrymen to the Catholic faith and religious life.

He was a person of deep spiritual life, of profound faith and of great pastoral zeal. Simple and intelligent, he devoted a good part of his time to prayer, study and reading. We, the Augustinian Recollects, recognize his heroic commitment to the Church and to the Order. At his death, he left an organized diocese, with several Augustinian Recollect priests, some seminarians studying philosophy or theology, a sizable number of Augustinian Recollect missionary sisters and several thousands of Christians.

Bishop Nicholas She has left in the diocese of Shangqiu the footprint of his faith, a faith lived in fidelity to the Catholic Church and converted into a service of love before the spiritual needs of his people.

The General Council gives thanks to the Lord for this brother who with his life witness has been an example for the religious of the Order and is an encouragement to continue trusting in the action of the Holy Spirit, who renews and sanctifies us even in the most difficult of circumstances.

Let us continue to ask the Lord to grant Bishop Nicholas the joy of his presence and that, from the house of the Father, he may intercede for the Mission and for the Augustinian Recollects in China, as well as for all of us who, having professed the same Augustinian charism, wish to maintain, like him, loyalty amidst all trials.

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