Original structure (1843–1859) After the
First Opium War, Hong Kong was ceded to the British in the
Treaty of Nanking and the colony soon became a popular
stopover for
missionaries travelling onwards to China. The parish was established in 1842 by
Theodore Joset, the first
Prefect Apostolic of Hong Kong, and work began on a new and permanent church soon afterwards. The new church was located at the junction of
Pottinger Street and
Wellington Street. Construction was completed in 1843. Within the next few years, the number of Catholics in the parish grew significantly, partly due to the emigration of people from neighbouring
Macau. The Portuguese colony was in gradual decline, and many people who resided there sought better opportunities in the young and prospering colony of Hong Kong.
Second cathedral (1859) In 1859, just sixteen years after it was built, the church was destroyed by fire. This was not uncommon, however, as devastating fires frequently plagued the developing colony, and a new cathedral was quickly built on the same site. It featured iconic twin
steeples at its façade. However, the
Victoria Harbour waterfront district where the church was situated became more overcrowded with the rapid growth of Hong Kong at the time, and it became apparent that a permanent and larger cathedral was necessary. As a result, plans were made for a new church on a more elevated ground in the
Mid-Levels, located close to the
Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens.
Present-day cathedral A new site for the cathedral was selected above Caine Road by the
Glenealy Ravine and the
cornerstone of the new church was laid on 8 December 1883.
Crawley and Company of London were hired to be the architects and five years later, construction was completed. The church opened on 7 December 1888, the vigil of the
Feast of the Immaculate Conception, and was blessed one day later. the cathedral did not have its rite of consecration held until 8 December 1938, one day after the fiftieth anniversary of its opening. The ceremony was officiated by the
vicar apostolic of Hong Kong Enrico Valtorta, the
bishop of Macau José da Costa Nunes and the
bishop emeritus of Canton; three of the cathedral's altars were also consecrated. The cathedral holds a
Red Mass every other year for the
Judiciary, alternating with the
Anglican St. John's Cathedral in hosting the annual opening of the
Assizes. ==Architecture==