The Seminary was established in 1728 and the Church that is part of this complex was built in 1758. St. Joseph’s Seminary, together with the old College of St. Paul’s, formed the Jesuits’ base in Macao, for the missionary work that they would implement in China, Japan and around the region. The building has a Greek cross plan. The dome measures 12.5 metres in diameter and rises 19 metres above the ground. It is decorated with two rows of 16 clerestories which enable natural lighting and ventilation. One of Macao’s most precious religious relics, a piece of bone from the arm of St. Francis Xavier, the first Jesuit missionary in the Far East, that formerly belonged to the collection of the old Church of Mater Dei (present St. Paul’s Ruins) is kept in one of the side altars inside this Church. St. Joseph’s Church, together with the Ruins of St. Paul’s, are two very rare examples of Baroque architecture in China.
Cultural Facilities:
TREASURE OF SACRED ART OF ST. JOSEPH'S SEMINARY