The cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is the fourth church built on the spot by the Catholic community in Chanthaburi. The first Catholic community followed the Siamese in exile after the
fall of Ayutthaya in 1767. In 1901, the Christians belonging to Chanthaburi numbered 2,500; in 1904, helped by his vicars, a French missionary, Father Augustin Peyrical began the construction of a new church. On the death of Father Quentric, Father Peyrical was appointed parish priest of Banpeng, the deceased having given him by will a part of his inheritance to build the new church in Chanthabury. Due to disagreements with Msgr.
Jean-Louis Vey, the
apostolic vicar of Siam, who had views on this heritage, Father Peyrical did not go to Banpeng, but to Paris and Rome to defend his rights, and Rome agreed with him. Back in Siam in 1910, he was appointed parish priest of Chanthaburi by Mgr.
René Perros. His district was faced with epidemics of
cholera and plague in quick succession, but will hold firm. In 1921, Father Peyrical was appointed
Apostolic Vicar of Laos, but he declined the honor and the office: it was Father Gouin who accepted. Despite the material difficulties in maintaining the schools, the number of Christians continued to increase and in 1928, Father Peyrical proceeded to bless a new church and a cemetery in Rayong. When Father Peyrical died on 3 September 1929, in Chanthaburi, he was buried in the cemetery next to his church, the largest in Thailand. On 23 December 1945, Pope
Pius XII erected the apostolic vicariate of Chanthaburi and therefore the church of the Immaculate Conception became a cathedral with a canonical chapter. Since 1965, it serves as the Latin rite seat of the
Diocese of Chanthaburi (
Dioecesis Chanthaburiensis, สังฆมณฑล จันทบุรี) created with the Bull
Qui in fastigio of
Pope Paul VI. It is under the pastoral responsibility of the Bishop Silvio Siripong Charatsri. ==Architecture==