New building to feature two exhibitions on 450 years of Macau’s Diocese

[Photo: Renato Marques]

The new building of the Catholic Center of Macao, soon to be inaugurated, will feature two exhibitions focused on the 450 years since the establishment of the local Catholic Diocese, the Times has learned from Benedict Keith Ip, director of the Diocesan Office of Historical Archives and Patrimony.

According to information obtained, the first exhibition, titled “We Build the Future with an Eye to the Past,” will be on the first floor and will feature the Diocese’s work from its establishment in 1576 until 1999. As for the second one, located on the second floor and titled “Witness to the Heritage, Mission in the World,” it will focus on the last 26 years since the establishment of the Macau Special Administrative Region. It will feature the work being done by the Catholic Church today, providing a perspective that allows a better understanding of the work of the Diocese at present.

As explained to the Times, the two exhibitions are separate but complementary, with a note on the differences between the institution’s past and present.

As the Catholic Center of Macao also noted to the Times in a statement, the new building, located at the intersection of Rua da Praia Grande and Rua do Campo, is currently undergoing final government approval procedures and will hold its grand opening ceremony on June 12, 2026.

[Photo: Renato Marques]

The reconstruction project began on September 8, 2021, with Bishop Stephen Lee presiding over the groundbreaking ceremony.

The main structure reached the topping-out stage on May 22, 2025, at which time a blessing ceremony was also performed.

In the same statement, the Catholic Center noted that “despite the severe challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic and the sharp rise in global construction costs, the project overcame difficulties through faith and support from all sides, and was completed.”

The building comprises 17 floors, integrating hotel accommodations, dining facilities, lecture halls, conference rooms, exhibition spaces, and multi-purpose activity rooms.

The center noted that the new space will serve “travelers, pilgrims, and local residents alike, truly becoming a bridge between the Church and society” while embodying the Catholic Church’s pastoral mission of evangelization and serving people with the spirit of charity.

The Catholic Center site is managed by Centro Católico Management Ltd., with operations divided between “Macau Catholic Center (Association)” and “Catholic Center Hotel.”

As the Times also learned from sources familiar with the project, the second floor also contains a large auditorium that can host over 180 people for events, conferences, large-scale talks and screen showings.

On the third floor, there will be a chapel dedicated to the 12 apostles that features several stained-glass elements related to them.

On the fourth, there are several other support facilities and venues, including multifunctional rooms, a conference room and two dancing rooms.

A permanent exhibition is planned at the Catholic Centre, to be located on the same floor as the chapel, according to preliminary information obtained by the Times.

Further details about the exhibition content have not yet been released, and materials are expected to be provided at a later stage.

The hotel will occupy the seventh through the 16th floors of the building, according to available information. The premises will house the Catholic Centre of Macau (Association) and the Catholic Centre Hotel, with no additional diocesan service departments based in the building.

A front-facing office for the Cardinal Newman Centre will also be included, while its main address remains at Calçada da Vitória.

Last but not least, on the 17th floor, the building will feature a sky retreat available for bookings for various functions that overlooks the city in a green environment.

Updated April 21, 11:50 p.m.