![]() ![]() The area was thoroughly cleared and single-storey houses were rebuilt. The then Governor Costa made a wise decision to raze the wooden houses in the area to the ground. At the end of the 19th century, serious plague spread through St Lazarus Quarter. Therefore, the current cathedral was constructed. In 1623, Catholics believed that the cathedral should be closer to the Av Almeida Riberio area in the central part of the city and moved away from the leper hospital. Later on, the Portuguese continued to settle in Macau and the population soared. Therefore St Lazarus Church takes up the historical responsibility of leading the Macau Catholic Diocese. Back then there were three churches in Macau, namely St Anthony’s Church, St Lawrence Church and St Lazarus Church (Church of Our Lady of Hope). On January 23, 1576, Pope Gregory XIII declared the establishment of diocese in Macau and requested to have a church with “Our Lady” in its name as the cathedral of Macau. Second, the Portuguese word “Lázaro” also means “lepers”, hence some people call the church Leprosy Quarter or Lepers Temple. This story warns the world: indifference and neglect is terrible, do not ignore the needs of others – otherwise they will be like the rich man in the story and suffer in hell after death. “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'” – Luke 16:19 “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ ![]() Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’Ībraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets let them listen to them.’ “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. St Lazarus Church features a modern baroque architecture style One is related to the story of “The Rich Man and Lazarus” in the Bible. ![]() The Portuguese name of the church is Igreja de São Lázaro. The Bishop also built St Lazarus’ Church next to it dedicated to Our Lady of Hope to give patients somewhere to pray. ![]() What he discovered was many, many lepers exiled from the town so, distraught by their misery, he established a leper hospital the following year. Why was this church built? It is said that in 1566, Bishop Melchior Carneiro came to Macau and arrived at the St Lazarus district, which was out of town back then. It is not only one of the three oldest churches in Macau, but was also the first cathedral in Macau and the first Chinese church in Macau. Among the 20-plus churches in Macau there is nothing outwardly superior about it, however in the Macau Catholic Diocese – and especially among the Chinese Catholics in Macau – St Lazarus’ Church is of special significance. When you walk into St Lazarus Quarter, the most striking landmark is St Lazarus’ Church, also known as Church of Our Lady of Hope. As you delve deep into its soul, you will not only find a beautiful neighborhood full of Southern European style but many fascinating stories of the Macau Catholic Diocese. Now it exists in a vivid form as a base for cultural and creative industries. As the origin of the first Chinese Catholic Diocese in Macau, it was listed as one of the major government-protected cultural properties in 1984. From the 16th to the 21st century, this district experienced many ups and downs. St Lazarus Quarter, also known as the “Leprosy Quarter,” is located in the central part of Macau Peninsula. This article first appeared in the Sep/Oct 2016 issue of WGM. ![]()
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