In a letter written to the faithful of the Catholic Church in China in May 2007, Pope Benedict XVI expressed the hope that the 24th May, the memorial of Our Lady Help of Christians who is venerated with such devotion at the Marian shrine of Sheshan in Shanghai, would become a day of prayer for the Church in China.
(Due to the 24th falling on the day after Pentecost, the feast of Mary Mother of the Church takes precedence over the feast of Mary, Help of Christians in the Liturgical Calendar this year. The Day of Prayer for China remains in place)