“Still on the asian continent, the bishop of Leiria-Fatima, mentioned the current political situation of the Korean Peninsula, where “there was a spark of hope with respect to nuclear disarmament”. Therefore, this will be one of the intentions of this International Pilgrimage, with the request for the intercession of Our Lady so that this dialogue can be productive and successful.” He explained. “We are living a delicate and promising moment between the Holy See and China, regarding a dialogue that can pave the way to the recognition of the Catholic Church in that country. This increase of pilgrims from Asia was one of the reasons that led the prelate to invite the Bishop Emeritus of Hong Kong to the International Anniversary Pilgrimage of May 2018, prelate who “represents the catholic Chinese and the asian axis, that is emerging from the standpoint of the Catholic Church.” “This moment proved the relevance, in a unique way, of the prophetic dimension of the Message of Fatima, with its historical impact and highlighted the internationalization of the Message and also the internationalization of the Shrine, that received and spreads the Message” said the bishop of Leiria-Fatima, while reminding the presence of pilgrims from all over the world in Cova da Iria and the “exponential growth” of asian pilgrims, specifically from China. The opening of the press conference was made by the Bishop of Leiria-Fatima, António Marto, who started by evoking the presence of Pope Francis in the International Anniversary Pilgrimage, in May 2017, as the “highest moment” of the canonization of Francisco and Jacinta Marto. Special Vocation Mass:Third Thursday of Every Month 6:00 p.m.Bishop Emeritus of Hong Kong requests prayer for the Catholic Church in China Special Mass for China:Second Thursday of Every Month 6:00 p.m. Holy Hour in Honour of Sacred Heart of Jesus. Special Mass:First Friday of Every Month 6:00 p.m. There is a mass centre in the Cathedral known as Catholic Centre (Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel)Ģ003 UNESACO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Culture Heritage Conservation The inaugural mass for the new Cathedral was held on, on the eve of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.
The old site at Wellington Street was then demolished by the new buyer. The site at Caine Road was then acquired in 1881 to build the current Cathedral. When it was redeveloped in 1860, as the neighboring area was considered undesirable for religious gathering and in view of the increasing catholic population, Bishop Raimondi, Hong Kong’s first perfectual, then made a decision to build a new church. Unfortunately it was destroyed by fire and burnt to the ground in 1859, at the time the extension work was almost completed. Going back to history, The Cathedral was first located at Wellington Street in Central. Declared a Grade 1 Historical Building by the Antiquities Advisory Board in 1990, it was subsequently given the Honorable Mention by the UNESCO Asia Pacific Heritage Conservation Award in 2003. It bears witness to the evolving development process of the Hong Kong community. The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is beyond doubt an architectural masterpiece, the work of simplicity and elegance.