Johann Lesinski


Johann Lesinski was the first and -to date- only bishop of Tingzhou, in the Ecclesiastical province of Fuzhou.
A German, Lesinski belonged to the Ordo Praedicatorum. He was ordained into the priesthood in July 1932, before his 28th birthday anniversary. In May 1947 the Apostolic prefecture of Tingzhou was promoted to Diocesan standing and Lesiniski was named its bishop.

Struggle with National Catholicism

Changting in Western Fujian Province was liberated by Communists a little over two years later. Lesinski's Cathedral, in Longyan's Tingzhou town, was not deemed useful to the Sinican Catholic movement and has lain uncelebrated even since reform and opening up under Deng Xiaoping.
Lesinski died in 1963, on April 4, aged 58.