Mawei Catholic Church Complex

Mawei Catholic Church Complex

The Mawei Catholic Church Complex is a cultural heritage site protected at the municipal level in Fuzhou.

The Mawei Catholic Church Complex is situated on Lushanqi Mountain in Mawei. It was first built in 1868 as a cluster of buildings, with four structures still standing today (the main building of Mawei Catholic Church, the Mawei Catholic Church Orphanage, the Mawei Catholic Church Elderly Home, and the Mawei Catholic Church Minor Seminary).

According to the *Mawei District Annals*, the Mawei Catholic Church Complex was first constructed in the seventh year of the Tongzhi era of the Qing Dynasty (1868), originally serving as dormitories for a minor seminary founded by a Spanish priest. In the eleventh year of the Guangxu era (1885), the Mawei Catholic Church was established on the foundation of the original buildings, and in the twenty-ninth year of Guangxu (1903), the French-supervised Duyer of the Ship Administration built a new French-style brick-and-wood church.

The existing buildings of the Mawei Catholic Church Complex were constructed in different periods.

According to the *Mawei District Annals*, Catholic activities had already taken place within Mawei by the fifth year of the Tongzhi era (1866). At that time, Shen Baozhen, the superintendent of the Ship Administration, hired the Frenchmen Prosper Giquel and Paul d’Aiguebelle as chief and deputy supervisors, along with foreign craftsmen. Most of these individuals brought their families and were predominantly Catholic. French and British employees built very small churches to the left of the foreign craftsmen's quarters.

In the fifth year of Tongzhi (1866), a Spanish priest founded the Minor Seminary.

In the seventh year of Tongzhi (1868), a Spanish priest constructed a two-story stone house on Shiqi Mountain as living quarters. After their contracts expired and they returned to their home countries, the building was handed over to the Catholic Church.

In the eleventh year of Guangxu (1885), the stone house was used as the foundation to establish the Mawei Catholic Church, which began to admit and develop local parishioners. In addition to believers from Mawei, participants also came from areas such as Guantou (Lianjiang County), Shanggan (Minhou County), Yingqian, Yangyu (all in Changle County). The church was served by priests from France and Spain. The church also founded an orphanage and a charitable institution.

In the twenty-ninth year of Guangxu (1903), the French supervisor Duyer of the Ship Administration built a new French-style brick-and-wood church on Shiqi Mountain, with the Spanish priest Pius Simeon serving as the presiding priest.

In the 37th year of the Republic of China (1948), foreign priests successively returned to their home countries, and Father Lin Daoming took charge of the church activities. There were 200 parishioners, primarily boat people living on the water.

During the Cultural Revolution, church activities were suspended, and the Catholic Church, along with the orphanage and charitable institution, were repurposed by the Mawei Shipyard of Fujian Province and Fuzhou No. 24 Middle School as staff (faculty) dormitories.

After the Third Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee, some Catholics spontaneously resumed religious activities, setting up two home-based gathering points for Sunday worship services, with around 60 parishioners.

In 1996, the Catholic Church was renovated, and parishioners gathered there for worship. By 1997, the number of parishioners had reached 200.