King’s Church

King’s Church

Also known as the Emperor’s Church, King’s Church was originally located at No. 165 Changle Road. Built in 1928, it officially became a chapel for English-speaking foreign Catholics in 1933, with its first parish priest being Father McDonnell. The church prominently featured the characteristics of a foreign expatriate congregation and also included facilities such as a billiard room, table tennis room, badminton and tennis courts, and a tea lounge, all exclusively for the use of foreign worshippers. In its early years, the church had more than 1,700 parishioners. By 1950, religious activities were frequent, with over 2,600 Masses held throughout the year. In 1961, the number of parishioners reached 2,309. During the Cultural Revolution, the church was closed, religious activities ceased, and the building was repurposed for other uses. In 1985, the original church was demolished to make way for the construction of the new Jinjiang Hotel, but an agreement was made to rebuild the church at a new location and return it to the congregation. On April 25, 1993, the new church held its inaugural Mass at its new site (No. 361 Julu Road), presided over by Bishop Aloysius Jin Luxian. Currently, one Chinese Mass is held every Sunday, with around 300 attendees each time.