The Development And Influence Of The Congregation Of The Immaculate Heart Of Mary In Inner Mongolia And Its Surrounding Areas

The Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary was one of the important congregations by which Catholicism transmited in china in modern society. And it worked in inner Mongolia and its surrounding areas. The generous historical data having been collected and arranged, the paper systematically discusses the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary's development and features in inner Mongolia and its surrounding areas, analyzes the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary's influence and the relationship with the society at that time by combing it's activities. In the sixties of the 19th century, the congregation came into China and was in difficulty condition. After the seventies it had smoothly developed, then suffered enormous setback in the Yihetuan Movement. It had been the fastest developing stage before the thirties of the 20th century and then had been the slow developing periods for the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. In the periods of the war anti-Japan, it had been in the plight again. After the war it got transient recovery, and finished it job in China. The prosperity and decline of the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, especially its activities such as investment, education and culture, protecting church with arm, healthy care and charitable relieving, had special impact on Inner Mongolia and its surrounding areas. The activities attracted lots of Chinese who became follower of Catholicism. At the same time it took on and complemented the lacked parts which functioned in society in the transition from nomadic society to farming society , according to the meets of Inner Mongolia and its surrounding areas with some western capitalist things imported. In addition, some new social functions with modern meaning had become one of the impetuses and a special concrete mode in the modernization of Inner Mongolia and its surrounding areas, which played the positive role in the culture exchange between Chinese and western and the development of Inner Mongolia and its surrounding areas. On the other hand, it had produced some new contradiction and conflict in the local society.