A Catholic church in Xiamen, China's southeastern Fujian Province is under construction to become a local new landmark.
Xiamen is a well-known sea garden city in China. In one or two years, there will be a beautiful landmark building on Lujiang Road and tourists coming to Xiamen will have a new place to visit.
The building is the cathedral of the Catholic diocese of Xiamen, named Cathedral of the Holy Rosary. As the seat of the parish bishop, it is the place where the bishop holds mass, teaches the believers, and gives an overview of the ministry administration. The bishop’s lodgings are near the church.
In 1842, a Dominican priest named Lin Francis went to Xiamen’s Gulangyu Island to preach. This began the development of Catholicism in Xiamen in modern times. Since then the nuns of Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul have come to Xiamen. At that time, the Zengcuoan Village Church, built during the Ming Dynasty, had been destroyed so private houses were rented as a temporary meeting place and residence.
In 1859, Bishop Miguel Calderon of Fujian sent a Italian priest to Xiamen to oversee the construction of churches. The priest hired people from the nearby beaches at the Feet of Bamboo Trees to build a church and ancillary houses. The church was built in 1860, covering an area of 413 square meters. It could accommodate more than 500 people. The church building was built in a double clock tower in Roman-style with an altar in the center and on both sides. The altar in the center was a statue of the Madonna of Chinese Roses. So it was also called Notre Dame de Rose. A building for the priests was built in 1873. In 1877, the Catholic Charity Church was established.
Cathedral of the Holy Rosary was the cathedral of the Xiamen parish from 1883 to 1917. In 1916, the Dominican priest Ma Shouren of Spain took over as Bishop of Xiamen Diocese. He exchanged the house of Xiamen Catholic Church with the house of the Dominican property in Tianwei Road and Gulangyu Island. He also moved the Bishop's Office to Gulangyu Island. Xiamen Catholic Church became the meeting place of the Dominican church, the activity center of the Spanish Dominican priests. At that time, the cathedral was a landmark building on Lujiang Road and people who came ashore could see this magnificent building.
During the Cultural Revolution, all religious activities at the catheral stopped and it was used as a factory. The original twin towers might have been demolished during this period. In the 1980s the Catholic Church in Xiamen resumed religious activities, and the Notre Dame Hall was set up in the upstairs of the former priest’s building at No.15 Ci 'an Road, covering an area of 43 square meters. It could accommodate more than 60 people. During weekdays and on Sundays, members of the church prayed and recited the scriptures together, and priests often came to mass regularly, which was organized by nuns.
In July 2007, the Xiamen Municipal Government returned the property deed of the former Xiamen Catholic Church to the Church. On the eve of National Day in 2008, the right to use the original Xiamen Catholic Church was returned to the Church. After more than half a year's renovation, Xiamen Catholic Church held an opening celebration ceremony on August 22nd, 2009.
Because many of the original residents of Gulangyu Island moved elsewhere, the number of persons attending the church also decreased. Notre Dame de Rose once again became the cathedral of Xiamen parish. In June 2009, Father Cai Bingrui was elected as Bishop of Xiamen Diocese. On May 8, 2010, he was consecrated as Bishop of Xiamen Diocese at Notre Dame de Rose.
In March 2016, Xiamen Diocese prepared to rebuild the Cathedral by demolishing the original building, leaving only the priest's building intact. They built a new Notre Dame Cathedral on the original site. The foundation stone was laid on March 10, 2018, and construction began in May of that year. The church is scheduled to be completed in May 2020. At present, the work on the interior has started and the church is expected to be put into use within one or two years.
The reconstructed Cathedral of the Holy Rosary covers an area of 4000 square meters and is one of the largest churches in Xiamen. Its twin towers will become the new landmark of Lujiang Road. In addition, the cathedral is only a few steps away from the Protestant Zhushu Church in Xiamen, and the two churches will share the grace of God together of the old Xiamen.
- Translated by Charlie Li
厦门一座天主教堂正在建设中或成老厦门新地标！
厦门是全国知名的海上花园城市，而在厦门鹭江道，再过一两年将有一座美丽的地标性建筑出现，来厦门的游客将有新的打卡之地了。
这座建筑就是天主教厦门教区的主教座堂——玫瑰圣母堂。这类教堂因为设有教区主教的座位，而成为教区的中心，为主教主持弥撒仪式、教导信徒及总览教务的场所，其附近都建有主教府。
1842年，多明我会士林方济到鼓浪屿宣教，拉开近代厦门天主教发展序幕。此后，仁爱会的修女来到厦门。当时明郑时期修建的曾厝垵教堂已被毁，便在今镇邦路租赁民房作为临时教堂和住所。
1859年，福建代牧区主教高居龙派意大利人梁教士前来厦门主持兴建教堂，在原竹树脚雇工填海滩造地，兴建教堂和附属房屋。教堂地面积 413平方米，1860年建成，可容纳500多人。该堂为罗马式双钟楼教堂，正中及两边各有一个祭台，正中祭台供奉中华玫瑰圣母像，故该堂又称玫瑰圣母堂。1873年创建一座神父楼。1877建立“天主教仁慈堂”。
玫瑰圣母堂在1883起至1917年，一直是厦门教区的主教座堂。1916年，多明我会教士西班牙人马守仁接任厦门教区主教，把厦门天主堂房屋与多明我会在鼓浪屿田尾路多明我会会所的房屋对换，把主教府迁至鼓浪屿，厦门天主堂成为多明我会会所，为西班牙多明我会教士的活动中心。而在当时，玫瑰圣母堂是鹭江道的地标性建筑，在此上岸的人们，都能看到这座雄伟的建筑。
文革期间，玫瑰圣母堂停止一切活动，被占用为工厂。原有的双塔可能也在这个时期内被拆毁。直到80年代，厦门天主堂恢复宗教活动，在磁安路15号原神父楼上大厅建立圣母厅，面积43平方米，可容纳60多人，平时及星期日都有教友集体祈祷念经，神父经常定期来做弥撒，由修女负责管理。
2007年7月，厦门市政府将原厦门天主堂产权证发放给教会。2008年国庆节前夕原厦门天主堂使用权归还教会使用。厦门天主堂经半年多的修缮于2009年8月22日举行复堂典礼。
由于鼓浪屿原住民不断外迁，岛上的耶稣君王堂的人数日益减少，于是玫瑰圣母堂再次成为厦门教区的主教座堂。2009年6月蔡炳瑞神父被选为厦门教区主教，并于2010年5月8日在厦门玫瑰圣母堂被祝圣为厦门教区主教。
2016年3月，厦门教区准备重建主教座堂，对原有建筑进行了拆除，只保留了神父楼。并在原址上建立新的玫瑰圣母堂。教堂于2018年3月10日奠基，是年5月开始修建。经过两年的施工，于2020年5月封顶。目前开始内部装修工作，预计在一两年内投入使用。
重建后的玫瑰圣母堂，占地面积达到4000平方米，为厦门最大的教堂之一。而其高耸的双塔，将成为鹭江道的新地标。此外，玫瑰圣母堂与厦门基督新教的竹树堂仅有几步之遥，两座教堂将一起在老厦门述说上主的恩典。
厦门一座天主教堂正在建设中或成老厦门新地标！
A Catholic church in Xiamen, China's southeastern Fujian Province is under construction to become a local new landmark.
Xiamen is a well-known sea garden city in China. In one or two years, there will be a beautiful landmark building on Lujiang Road and tourists coming to Xiamen will have a new place to visit.
The building is the cathedral of the Catholic diocese of Xiamen, named Cathedral of the Holy Rosary. As the seat of the parish bishop, it is the place where the bishop holds mass, teaches the believers, and gives an overview of the ministry administration. The bishop’s lodgings are near the church.
In 1842, a Dominican priest named Lin Francis went to Xiamen’s Gulangyu Island to preach. This began the development of Catholicism in Xiamen in modern times. Since then the nuns of Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul have come to Xiamen. At that time, the Zengcuoan Village Church, built during the Ming Dynasty, had been destroyed so private houses were rented as a temporary meeting place and residence.
In 1859, Bishop Miguel Calderon of Fujian sent a Italian priest to Xiamen to oversee the construction of churches. The priest hired people from the nearby beaches at the Feet of Bamboo Trees to build a church and ancillary houses. The church was built in 1860, covering an area of 413 square meters. It could accommodate more than 500 people. The church building was built in a double clock tower in Roman-style with an altar in the center and on both sides. The altar in the center was a statue of the Madonna of Chinese Roses. So it was also called Notre Dame de Rose. A building for the priests was built in 1873. In 1877, the Catholic Charity Church was established.
Cathedral of the Holy Rosary was the cathedral of the Xiamen parish from 1883 to 1917. In 1916, the Dominican priest Ma Shouren of Spain took over as Bishop of Xiamen Diocese. He exchanged the house of Xiamen Catholic Church with the house of the Dominican property in Tianwei Road and Gulangyu Island. He also moved the Bishop's Office to Gulangyu Island. Xiamen Catholic Church became the meeting place of the Dominican church, the activity center of the Spanish Dominican priests. At that time, the cathedral was a landmark building on Lujiang Road and people who came ashore could see this magnificent building.
During the Cultural Revolution, all religious activities at the catheral stopped and it was used as a factory. The original twin towers might have been demolished during this period. In the 1980s the Catholic Church in Xiamen resumed religious activities, and the Notre Dame Hall was set up in the upstairs of the former priest’s building at No.15 Ci 'an Road, covering an area of 43 square meters. It could accommodate more than 60 people. During weekdays and on Sundays, members of the church prayed and recited the scriptures together, and priests often came to mass regularly, which was organized by nuns.
In July 2007, the Xiamen Municipal Government returned the property deed of the former Xiamen Catholic Church to the Church. On the eve of National Day in 2008, the right to use the original Xiamen Catholic Church was returned to the Church. After more than half a year's renovation, Xiamen Catholic Church held an opening celebration ceremony on August 22nd, 2009.
Because many of the original residents of Gulangyu Island moved elsewhere, the number of persons attending the church also decreased. Notre Dame de Rose once again became the cathedral of Xiamen parish. In June 2009, Father Cai Bingrui was elected as Bishop of Xiamen Diocese. On May 8, 2010, he was consecrated as Bishop of Xiamen Diocese at Notre Dame de Rose.
In March 2016, Xiamen Diocese prepared to rebuild the Cathedral by demolishing the original building, leaving only the priest's building intact. They built a new Notre Dame Cathedral on the original site. The foundation stone was laid on March 10, 2018, and construction began in May of that year. The church is scheduled to be completed in May 2020. At present, the work on the interior has started and the church is expected to be put into use within one or two years.
The reconstructed Cathedral of the Holy Rosary covers an area of 4000 square meters and is one of the largest churches in Xiamen. Its twin towers will become the new landmark of Lujiang Road. In addition, the cathedral is only a few steps away from the Protestant Zhushu Church in Xiamen, and the two churches will share the grace of God together of the old Xiamen.
- Translated by Charlie Li
Under Construction, Catholic Church in Xiamen May Become New Landmark
