Catholicism flourishes in Tibetan village
By Mu Qian (China Daily)
Updated: 2006-01-10 14:13

Xiao Jieyi, 76, is probably the person in Cizhong whose life is most closely associated with the church, for he was born in it.

Xiao's father, a Han Catholic from Sichuan Province, followed foreign missionaries to Cizhong and met Xiao's Tibetan mother here. They got married in the church and lived in the church for 25 years.

Because the influence of his father, who worked as a translator for the foreign missionaries, Xiao not only speaks Chinese and Tibetan, but also learned French and Latin.

In the 1990s, seeing that many young church members did not know how to read scriptures, Xiao began to transliterate Tibetan scriptures and chants into Chinese characters. With the help of many old church members, the book was completed in 2002.

"I'm so glad that everybody can read scriptures and sing chants now," said Xiao, who often led the church members in reading and chanting.

When the Tibetan Catholic chants echoed in the church, the resonant voice of men and penetrating voice of women could be heard from afar.