St. Augustine's - Macau's First Church for English Mass

St. Augustine's - Macau's First Church for English Mass

  

In the 16th Century, churches started to be built in Macau for Christians. On Cal?ada de Santo Agostinho stands St. Augustine's Church, a simple, neoclassical church of the period; in fact, clergymen had to cover the open roof whenever it rained.

As Portugal's first settlement on the China coast in 1557, Macau was expected to be a bastion of the Christian religion as well as a trading post and was honoured as the "City of the Name of God, Macau". Priests residing in Macau came from Europe and held mass in the Portuguese and English languages. In fact, St. Augustine's Church was the first church to hold mass in English. Gradually, the Cantonese dialect was introduced for the citizens of Macau.

In the environs of St. Augustine's Church, you can discover the cobblestoned square of the church set in a traditional Portuguese-style streetscape surrounded by the World Heritage sites of St. Joseph's Seminary and the Sir Robert Ho Tung Library. Walk just down the hill, however, and you will find yourself in Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro, one of the busiest streets in the territory.

Opening Hours: 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.