Rome, 11th April 2008 (CNA) - The Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples reports that during the Easter Vigil over 13,000 people were baptized in China.

The Fides news agency reports that in the 80 dioceses of continental China, “13,608 people were baptized in the Easter Vigil 2008. In addition to the Sacrament of Baptism, the catechumens also received the other two sacraments of initiation: Confirmation and the Holy Eucharist.”

“The number of baptized in 2008 is much higher than that of 8,000 baptized on Easter in 2007.  As well, many parishes and dioceses in China not only celebrate Baptisms on Easter, but throughout the entire liturgical year, according to the local needs,” Fides revealed. 

The report also indicated that “the number 13,608 is the result of a provisory study done by the Chinese Catholic website ‘Faith’” and that “in the Archdiocese of Beijing, there were about 500 baptized on Easter, 100 more than in 2007,” while “among the newly baptized in the Diocese of Shang Hai, where baptisms have had to be celebrated all year long, there were 54 university students.”

In the Diocese of Chong Qing, there were over 500 baptized and another 400 in the Diocese of Wan Zhou. In the northeastern part of the continent, there were over 600 baptized in the Diocese of Hei Long Jiang, 398 in the Diocese of Liao Ning, and 242 in that of Ji Lin.

In the northeast province there were 235 in Lan Zhou and 235 in Tian Shi. In the northern part of the continent there were 200 baptisms in the Diocese of Wu Meng and 300 in the Diocese of Tai Yuan.

In the province of He Bei, there were 752 baptized in the Diocese of Han Dan, 300; in the Diocese of Heng Shui, 186; in the Diocese of Tang Shan, over 500; in the Diocese of Shi Jia Zhuang, 471; and in the Diocese of Xing Tai, 48.

In the Eastern costal region, 500 were baptized in the Diocese of LinYi.

More than 870 were baptized in the southeastern part of the continent, and 957 in the southern provinces.