Heitage sites of Macau-Cathedral Square

Situated near Rua de S. Domingos, the Cathedral is located on the top of the nearby paved hill. Here, Midnight Mass is held at Christmas and the Procession of the Passion of Our Lord is enacted every year. The Bishop's Palace is located next to it.

as early as 1576, when it was a mere wooden shed. This was replaced by a more permanent structure in 1622.

Services were held here except when it underwent repairs in 1780, when Mass was done at the Holy House of Mercy. However, the repairs did not save it from a mighty typhoon that blew it down in 1836. Services were then continued at the St Dominic's Church, until its replacement, designed by local architect Tomas d'Aquino, was built between 1844 and 1850. On 14 February, 1950, Bishop Jeronimo José da Mata consecrated the cathedral church of Macau and the first Mass was held there.

The cathedral stood firm against several more typhoons. Nonetheless, by the 1930's, it had to be rebuilt. The present building, in the shape of a basilica, dates to the reconstruction which was completed in 1937. It was finished in Shanghai plaster, which gives

In 1575, the Catholic church was established in Macau - named the City of the Name of God - and promptly became the centre of Catholicism in Asia. In 1576, the Cathedral was built and many important relics of the 16th & 17th Century are stored here.The present building stands on the site of several previous cathedrals. The original cathedral was the church of Our Lady of Hope of St. Lazarus, declared the mother church of the Macau diocese which included the religious provinces of China, Japan, Korea and other islands adjacent to China. The first stone Cathedral, consecrated in 1850, was almost destroyed in a typhoon 24 years later and had to be extensively repaired.

The Cathedral was completely rebuilt in 1937. It has two solid towers and massive doors. Inside, its chief beauty lies in its fine stained-glass windows.

The Cathedral square has recently been refurbished, and an imposing fountain added, providing a convenient spot for residents and visitors to relax in comfort. Less than 2 minutes walk from the Cathedral lie the major thoroughfares of Rua de S. Domingos, Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro and Avenida de Praia Grande.