Diocese to replace damaged statues at Ka Ho, IC supports

Before and after of Guardian Angel and Child, and Saint Joseph the Worker

The Macao Diocese is going to replace three severely damaged statues that were part of the Village of Our Lady in Ka Ho.

The three works include a statue of Our Lady of Sorrows (formerly located at the top of the staircase), a statue of a Guardian Angel and Child (in front of the Church of Our Lady of Sorrows), and another image of Saint Joseph the Worker, located in the path in front of the old leprosarium houses.

The news came when the matter was discussed during yesterday’s meeting of the Cultural Heritage Council.

According to the president of the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC), Deland Leong, who presided over the meeting, the three images will be soon replaced by the Diocese, which owns the space with the support of IC. The area is part of the Cultural Heritage of Macau and has comprised innumerous classified immovable properties.

In response to questions by the media, Leong noted that the original statues were severely damaged by exposure to the elements, as well as severe weather phenomena and a lack of maintenance, adding that the damages did not result from human actions.

One of the statues mentioned, name the one featuring Our Lady of Sorrows that was originally placed at the top of the staircase that gives access to the area, has been removed since the site underwent extensive renovations, before it was turned into a cultural and exhibition space.

Leong said the Diocese will replace the three statues with new ones to reestablish the original aesthetic of the space.

The village, founded in 1964, consists of the former Ka Ho Leprosarium, Our Lady of Sorrows Church, and other affiliated structures.

It is the only existing site of a leprosarium in Macau, which also happens to be the site of the last leprosarium in the city to cease operation.

The prevention and treatment of leprosy in Macau began in the 16th century. In 1568, Father D. Belchior Carneiro opened a leprosarium affiliated with the Holy House of Mercy, an organization also founded by him.

Later, due to the requirements of isolation as treatment, a clinic dedicated to treating leprosy was established outside the city walls (now St. Lazarus Church).

By the middle to late 19th century, given urban development, the then-Portuguese government of Macau once again moved the leprosarium to Pac-Sa-Lan in Hengqin, which was destroyed by a typhoon in 1883.

To separate male and female lepers, the government then built a new leprosarium in both Pac-Sa-Lan and Ka Ho, Coloane.

The Ka Ho Leprosarium completed in 1885 was designated for female lepers.

In 1963, Father Gaetano Nicosia from Salesians of Don Bosco started serving in the Ka Ho Leprosarium and suggested renaming it “Village of Our Lady” (Vila de Nossa Senhora).
Three years later, the church of “Our Lady of Sorrows” was built, dedicated to the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The crucifix featured in the façade of the church was designed by the famed Italian sculptor Francisco Messina and the chapel was reused as a recreation room.