▁cr ushed ▁and ▁defeated ▁by ▁the ▁Madonna . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁a ▁copy ▁of ▁the ▁statue ▁was ▁given ▁to ▁Pope ▁Bened ict ▁XVI , ▁who ▁then ▁invoked ▁the ▁Marian ▁title ▁through ▁his ▁P ray er ▁to ▁Our ▁Lady ▁of ▁Sh es han . ▁The ▁pont iff ▁requested ▁that ▁the ▁prayer ▁be ▁rec ited ▁more ▁dev out ly ▁on ▁May ▁ 2 4 , ▁the ▁fe ast ▁of ▁Mary ▁Help ▁of ▁Christians ▁to ▁whom ▁the ▁Bas il ica ▁of ▁Sh es han ▁holds ▁under ▁Marian ▁patron age . ▁The ▁Shang hai ▁Government ▁then ▁b anned ▁pil gr images ▁to ▁the ▁san ctu ary ▁from ▁neighbor ing ▁dioc eses . ▁ ▁In ▁May ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁a ▁wooden ▁rep lica ▁statue ▁was ▁processed ▁by ▁Chinese ▁American ▁C athol ics ▁in ▁New ▁York , ▁United ▁States . ▁The ▁religious ▁image ▁was ▁solemn ly ▁approved ▁and ▁bl essed ▁by ▁Bishop ▁Guy ▁Sans ar ic q . ▁ ▁V ener ation ▁Sh es han ▁Bas il ica ▁of ▁Mary , ▁Help ▁of ▁Christians ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁prominent ▁pil gr image ▁shr ines ▁in ▁China . ▁ ▁In ▁May ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁Pope ▁Bened ict ▁XVI ▁released ▁a ▁Let ter ▁to ▁Chinese ▁C athol ics , ▁in ▁which ▁he ▁asked ▁that ▁May ▁ 2 4 ▁each ▁year ▁be ▁celebrated ▁as ▁a ▁World ▁Day ▁of ▁P ray er ▁for ▁the ▁Church ▁in ▁China . ▁He ▁chose ▁May ▁ 2 4 ▁because ▁it ▁is ▁the ▁Fe ast ▁of