Diocese of Macau

The Diocese of Macau (Portuguese: Diocese de Macau; Chinese: 天主教澳門教區; Jyutping: tin1 zyu2 gaau3 ou3 mun4 gaau3 keoi1) is a part of the Latin Church and belongs to the Catholic Church. It is different from the Diocese of Hong Kong, which is officially connected to the area of Guangdong.

This diocese covers Macau, a special area that is part of China. While some believe a small part of Guangdong also belongs to it, the diocese mainly works in Macau.

The main church, or cathedral, of the diocese is the Cathedral of the Nativity of Our Lady. The diocese honors two important saints, Francis Xavier and Catherine of Siena, and its motto is Scientia et Virtus, meaning "Knowledge and Virtue".

Currently, the bishop leading the diocese is Stephen Lee Bun-sang, who is the third bishop from among the Chinese people to lead this area of the Catholic Church.

History

The Diocese of Macau was created on January 23, 1576, by a decision from Pope Gregory XIII. It started with a very large area, including parts of China, Japan, Vietnam, and the Malay Archipelago, but not the Philippines. At first, it was under the control of a church leader in Goa, which was part of Portuguese India.

Over time, the diocese lost most of its land. New church areas were created in different places, such as Japan, Vietnam, and parts of China. By 1975, the diocese was no longer tied to Goa. Today, it only looks after Macau. The last areas outside Macau that were under its care were two churches that are now part of other church groups.

Bishops

The Diocese of Macau has had many leaders over the years. Some were chosen but never started, and others helped in between official leaders. From 1641 to 1668, no new leaders were chosen because of a war between Spain and Portugal.

Here are some of the leaders of Macau:

• Diego Núñez de Figueroa (1576–1578); chosen but never started
• Leonardo Fernandes de Sá, O.Cist. (1578–1597)
• João de Casal (1690–1735)
• José da Costa Nunes (1920–1940)
• Stephen Lee Bun-sang (2016–present)

Bishops of Macau

Parishes

The Diocese of Macau has six parishes. Five of these are located in the Macau Peninsula, and one is on Taipa island. The parishes include the Cathedral Parish, St. Lazarus, St. Anthony, St. Lawrence, and Our Lady of Fátima. There is also a church called Our Lady of Carmel on Taipa.

There are two quasi-parishes, both on the Macau Peninsula. These are St. Francis Xavier in Mong Há and St. Joseph in Iao Hon. Additionally, there is one mission on Coloane island, which is St. Francis Xavier in Coloane.

Schools

See also: Macau Catholic Schools Association

The diocese directly runs several schools in Macau. These schools offer education from preschool up to secondary levels and include:

Preschool through secondary school:

• Colégio Diocesano de São José - Sé (not in Macau's tuition-free school network)
• Colégio Diocesano de São José 5 - Nossa Senhora de Fátima (not in Macau's tuition-free school network)
• Escola de São Paulo - Nossa Senhora de Fátima

Preschool through junior high school:

• Escola do Santíssimo Rosário - Santo António (Closed)

Preschool and primary school:

• Escola Dom João Paulino - Taipa
• Escola Madalena de Canossa - Nossa Senhora de Fátima
• Escola de Santa Teresa do Menino Jesus - Nossa Senhora de Fátima

Macau also has other Catholic schools that are run by different Catholic groups.