Catholic Dictionary

Find accurate definitions of over 5,000 Catholic terms and phrases (including abbreviations). Based on Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

Random Term from the Dictionary:

ZOCE, OUR LADY OF

Marian shrine set on a hill near Shanghai, China. The hill was owned by a General Zo, from whom the place received its name. In 1870 the Chinese, running wild, were ravishing the nearby countryside, and the little Catholic group at Zoce was saved only when a sudden storm dispersed the bandits. The Jesuit priest, Father Della Croce, and his flock attributed their escape to the Blessed Virgin, to whom they had never ceased to pray. In their gratitude they built a small chapel and installed in it a picture of Mary, Help of Christians. The shrine to Our Lady of Zoce became popular. In 1873, a larger church was necessary to accommodate the pilgrims. On the pinnacle of the new church spire, the twenty thousand who came yearly to the shrine could view a heroic size statue of the Virgin Mother and her Son. The City Council of Shanghai, composed of Christians and Buddhists, dedicated China to Mary under the title "Our Lady of Zoce." As late as 1953 over fifteen hundred people received Holy Communion there daily. The present status of the shrine is unknown.