Macau – On Friday 23 January, at 7 pm, in the cathedral dedicated to the Nativity of Our Lady, a solemn liturgy will be celebrated to open the programme of celebrations and initiatives to mark the 450th anniversary of the establishment of the diocese of Macau.
The program of celebrations involves the nine parishes, where on Friday the ‘Lux Vera’ is lit and a prayer vigil is held.
The Jubilee Year, proclaimed to mark the 450th anniversary of the diocese, will end on 23 January 2027.
Macau has played a key role in the evangelizing mission in the Far East: a bridge between East and West, a driving force for charitable works and decisive initiatives in the fields of education and culture.
During the Jubilee Year, those who go on pilgrimage to the parish of St Joseph of the Diocesan Seminary will be able to obtain a plenary indulgence granted by the Apostolic Penitentiary, fulfilling the traditional conditions required.
The Pastoral Letter written by the Bishop of Macau for the 450th anniversary of the establishment of the Diocese of Macau is entitled: “From Macau to the World: We Build Future with an Eye to the Past;
Witness to the Heritage, Mission in the World”. In the text, Bishop Lee retraces the history of the Diocese of Macau, expressing gratitude to the missionaries and all those who have preserved and transmitted the faith of the Apostles from generation to generation.
450 years ago, the document reads, “Pope Gregory XIII promulgated the Papal Bull that officially established the Diocese of Macao. Since then, Macau has become an important hub for evangelization in the Far East. Countless diocesan priests, missionaries from various lands, and members of male and female religious orders and societies of apostolic life – especially those missionaries who came to the East from Portugal in the past—used Macau as a base to sow the seeds of the Gospel in Mainland China, Japan, Korea, and throughout Southeast Asia, including Singapore, Malacca, and Timor-Leste.”
Solemnly celebrating the 450th anniversary of the diocese is not about “boasting past glory, but to discern the future direction in Christ.”
“It is an act of memory , to give thanks in memory for God’s work of redemption.”
Along with the opening ceremony, commemorative stamps for the Jubilee will also be presented on Friday. The Diocese’s new landmark, the “Catholic Centre,” will open in the middle of the year and will host two special exhibitions: ‘We Build Future with an Eye to the past,’ and ‘Witness to the heritage, Mission in the world’. The “Diocesan Family Day Carnival” will be held on 28 November, and the “Walking Together, Setting Sail Anew” Youth Gathering will take place on 5 December.
The second quarter will feature a symposium entitled ‘Catholic Education: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow’ and a roundtable discussion among school principals as part of the academic exchange program.
Since its founding, the Diocese of Macau has venerated St Catherine of Siena and St Francis Xavier as its patron saints, thus affirming its missionary character, together with its vocation for cultural exchange and the promotion of moral virtues, characteristics that are also reflected in the diocese’s motto ‘Scientia et Virtus’ .
Today, the diocese has 9 parishes, 28 educational institutions, Caritas centres and a publishing house that also takes care of communication. Over 70 priests and seminarians, together with about 130 nuns, offer pastoral service to approximately 30,000 baptized persons.
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