Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (Central)
Brief
The foundation stone of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception was
laid in 1883. Its Dedication Mass was held on 7 December 1888, on the Eve
of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception
The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is beyond doubt an
architectural masterpiece, the work of simplicity and elegance. It was
designed an English Gothic style building, with its floor plan looks like a
Latin cross. The Cathedral is 62.5m in length, 30.2m in width and 39.6m
in height. The Cathedral has a seating capacity of more than 1000. The
bishop’s seat is situated on the northwest of the High Altar.
There are four chapels inside the Cathedral. They are, from left to right, the
Blessed Sacrament Chapel, Mission Chapel, Chinese Martyrs’ Chapel and
All Souls’ Chapel. The altars of all these chapels, except Mission Chapel,
were moved over from the old church in Wellington Street.
The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is the mother church of
the Hong Kong Catholic Diocese. It does not only signify the unity and
communion of the Catholic Church, but also a place where priests are
ordained, missionaries dispatched, and the centre of evangelization.。
