St. Augustine’s Church in Macau was constructed by Italian Catholic missionaries and the Order of St. Augustine in 1586, and became the property of the Portuguese three years later. It was the first church in Macau to preach in English. The church was renovated in 1825, featuring a magnificent and grand exterior, and a spacious and broad interior decoration. The altar, built of marble, houses a statue of Jesus carrying the cross. The facade of the church is divided into two levels, with a triangular pediment at the top. Two ancient Greek-style granite columns stand on either side of the main entrance. The main pillars inside divide the church into three aisles and support its vaulted roof. Legends about St. Augustine’s Church abound, with one suggesting that when the statue was taken by church officials to the cathedral, it miraculously returned to the altar of St. Augustine’s Church. Hence, the statue remains in its original position to this day. In the 16th century, as Western missionaries began to preach in Macau, they built several churches. At that time, in the eyes of the Chinese community, religious buildings were referred to as ‘temples’. The St. Augustine’s Church, initially very simple in its construction, was covered with palm fronds by the missionaries during rain to shield it from the elements. The sight of the fluttering leaves led the Chinese to associate the church with the dragon’s need to fly, thus dubbing it the ‘Dragon’s Temple’. Later, it was referred to as ‘Long Song Temple’ or ‘Dragon King Temple’ in Cantonese, and the street beside the church came to be known as Long Song Street. From the ‘temple’ of that time to the ‘church’ of later periods, it reflects the blending of Chinese and Western cultures in Macau, evident in every corner. After Macau was opened to foreign trade, Western missionaries used it as the first base for spreading Christianity into China, earning Macau the title of ‘City of the Holy Name’. Missionaries living in Macau hailed from Portugal, Spain, Italy, and other countries. They conducted masses primarily in Portuguese or English, and also preached in Cantonese to cater to the local residents. St. Augustine’s Church was the first to preach in English. Since the establishment of the Macau Diocese in the 16th century, it has continued the tradition of the Procession of the Holy Image of the Suffering Jesus on February 12th-13th. The two-day procession begins with the solemn departure of the Suffering Jesus statue, bearing the cross, from St. Augustine’s Church at the top of the hill, welcomed to the cathedral where the statue remains for blessings. On the second day, the priests carry the statue in a procession before returning it to St. Augustine’s Church. The Procession of the Suffering Jesus is one of the important festive events of the Catholic Church in Macau. The church is open all year round from 10:00 to 18:00. The church is located opposite the Guia Lighthouse and next to the Ho Tung Library. With Baroque-style European architectural features, the interior structure of the church is similar to that of the St. Dominic’s Church, divided into two aisles by rows of columns.
On the penultimate day of December, the church is conducting a ceremony and photography is not allowed.
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