St Anthonys Church

St. Anthonys Church is one of Macau’s most famous and historic churches.

It is also among the oldest, built in 1560 by the Society of Jesus to honour the Patron Saint of Marriage of Catholics.

St Anthonys Church, History, Weekday/Sunday Mass Times, Macau

When the church was originally built, it was only made out of bamboo and thatch. Back then, it was also considered God’s first home in Macau. By 1638, the church had been reconstructed, this time using stone. It was unfortunately exposed to two fires during its history, and because of this, the church celebrates the Day of Natural Disaster annually on September 22^nd.

St. Anthonys Church is a popular venue for weddings. They also hold mass services in Portuguese and Chinese. Psychological counselling is offered through the addition of the Lifeline Caritas Counselling Centre.

Aside from its wonderful services to the community, visitors, particularly those who are fans of religious architecture, will find many details to appreciate here. The two-storey church has a neo-classical facade with a classical pediment on the top. Its design is similar to other Portuguese colonial structures and has retained that elegant feel through the centuries.

Afterwards, you can head over to another popular attraction, Camoes Garden. It is one of the city’s biggest and oldest public parks, offering lots of space and recreational activities for all ages. Boasting 20,000 square meters of space, it was once the home of a Portuguese merchant, though it was eventually converted into a public space. The main highlight here is the Camoes Grotto, where you can see the bust of the iconic Portuguese poet, Luis de Camoes.

Other tourist landmarks nearby include the Mount Fortress and Senado Square.