Yesterday I went on a church retreat[^retreat] (non-parishioners aren’t allowed in) — couldn’t make it to an English Mass
So I woke up very early this morning to attend the earliest Mass
And on this day of Lent, I observed both the fasting and abstinence — no breakfast yet (the word “breakfast” literally means breaking the fast)
Now I am the person who best fits this Jubilee Year’s[^jubilee] theme: “Pilgrims of Hope”
But but actually the biggest reason I came here is that this is the cathedral of Chengdu — the only place in all of Sichuan-Chongqing[^sichuan-chongqing] that has Luce[^luce], possibly the entire Southwest
I thought I’d have to pay for them, but the church staff just handed me a whole handful, for free
Bliss! Happy lucky smile yeah!️
Luce is so cute, the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Chengdu is so kind meow[^meow], wishing the progressive Pope Francis eternal health and triumph
Amen

💬 Comments

  • optional (2025-03-23 10:09): You’ve been thoroughly marinated
    • LoulanRE reply @optional (2025-03-23 10:34): They said lots of Chinese I’d never heard before, imitating how parishioners talk is really fun, you could say it’s a kind of cosplay

[^retreat]: A retreat (避静) in Catholic context is a period of spiritual withdrawal for prayer and reflection, typically held at a church or monastery.
[^jubilee]: A Jubilee Year in Catholic tradition is a special year of remission of sins and universal pardon, typically celebrated every 25 years. The 2025 Jubilee’s theme is “Pilgrims of Hope.”
[^sichuan-chongqing]: Sichuan-Chongqing (川渝) is a common Chinese term referring collectively to Sichuan Province and Chongqing Municipality — two regions that share deep cultural and historical ties, having been a single province until 1997.
[^luce]: Luce is the official mascot of the 2025 Catholic Jubilee Year, designed by the Vatican — a cartoon-style pilgrim girl with blue hair and a cross-shaped walking stick. She became wildly popular, especially among Asian Catholic communities.
[^meow]: “Meow” (喵) is a Chinese internet slang particle appended to sentences for a cute, playful tone — borrowed from Japanese internet culture’s “にゃ” (nya).