St. Joseph's Church

St. Joseph’s Church in Macau, China was built in 1728. It, together with the College and the Seminary of St. Paul, was the site of missionary activity in all regions of China. In 1800, the church and its academic institutions were awarded the royal title of "House of Divine Assemblies" by Queen Donna Maria I of Portugal. It is the only temple in China made in the traditional style of Portuguese Baroque.

The facade of the church is decorated with broken arches characteristic of the Baroque style, framing the main entrance. At the base, the church is a Latin cross oriented to the cardinal points. Inside, the vaults support two groups of spiral columns decorated with gilding. The central dome is decorated with three rows of sixteen lights.

In the Church of St. Joseph is stored one of the most precious relics of the city of Macau - in one of the side altars is a fragment of bone from the hand of St. Francis Xavier. Previously, the relic was kept in St. Paul’s Cathedral, but was moved to the church after its destruction.