“Grandest church in the Far East” is how some once knew St. Ignatius Cathedral. Today we stand before this Neo-Gothic Roman Catholic cathedral. It is located in Xujiahui Shanghai. Since 1960, St. Ignatius Cathedral has been the seat of the Bishop of Shanghai. It also serves as the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Shanghai.
The first church at Xujiahui was built in 1851. As Catholicism grew, a new larger church was needed. English architect William Doyle designed it. French Jesuits built it between 1906 and 1910. St. Ignatius Cathedral can hold 2500 worshippers.
In 1966, the Cultural Revolution brought devastation. Red Guards vandalized St. Ignatius Cathedral. They tore down spires and the ceiling. Approximately 300 square meters of stained glass were smashed. Red Guards beat up priests and nuns. Bishop Aloysius Zhang Jiashu knelt at the altar praying. He was then dragged away. He was sent to repair umbrellas and wash bottles. For ten years the Cathedral became a state-owned grain warehouse.
But the story doesn’t end there. In 1978, St. Ignatius Cathedral reopened. The spires were restored in the early 1980s. In 1989, Bishop Aloysius Jin Luxian ordered the first Chinese language Mass. Wo Ye a Beijing-born artist and Father Thomas Lucas began a project in 2002. They replaced the cathedral’s stained glass windows over five years.
The original altar came from Paris in 1919 on Easter Sunday. Today an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary Help of Christians is here. It was dedicated in 1924 as Patroness of China.
Many know St. Ignatius Cathedral as Xujiahui Cathedral. It stands as a testament to faith. It reflects Shanghai’s blend of history and culture. The church adopted a cross-shaped plan. The main body uses brick and wood. Two 57-meter-high belfries stand at the front.
Consider the architectural style. It’s Gothic Revival. This style flourished in Europe during the High and Late Middle Ages. The pointed arch ribbed vault and flying buttress define it.
The story of St. Ignatius Cathedral involves not only architecture and art but also faith leaders. In 1950, Pope Pius XII appointed Ignatius Kung Pin-Mei as Bishop of Shanghai. In 1955, he was arrested. The Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association appointed Aloysius Zhang Jiashu in 1960. Joseph Shen Bin was installed as Bishop of Shanghai in 2023. The Vatican officially appointed Shen as Bishop of Shanghai on July 15 2023.
Mass is held here every morning. The church welcomes visitors on Saturdays and Sundays. As you leave remember the grandest church in the Far East. It has been reborn from the ashes of revolution. It stands tall as St. Ignatius Cathedral.