It has the great honour of UNESCO World Heritage status but it doesn’t seem to get as much attention as Macau’s other churches on the list. Located just down the road from St Lawrence Church, the St Joseph Seminary and Church is a real gem that is worth more appreciation.
In Cantonese, the St Joseph Seminary and Church is known as “Sam Ba Jai”, or literally “Little Sao Paulo”, as there is “Big Sao Paulo”, or “Dai Sam Ba” in Cantonese, which is the Chinese name of the St Paul’s Ruins (the result of a fire in 1835 which left only the façade of the St Paul’s College and Church complex standing).
The St Paul’s College and Church complex was built by the Jesuits in 1565. It was in 1594 that the college was recognised as a university by the authorities, and it was at that time the only Western-style university in China.
Leong Iong Keng from the Pilgrimage Service of the Catholic Lay Association of Macau poses for a photo at the Saint Joseph Seminary and Church on Wednesday. Photo: Monica Leong
Photo: Ip Chin Wa
