Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception trip, 110. Soi 1 Mu 10, Chanthanimit, Mueang Chanthaburi District, Chanthaburi, Thailand.
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Chanthaburi.
The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is a Catholic church and is located in the city of Chanthaburi, in the province of the same name, in Thailand. The cathedral, visible from most of the city, was formally inaugurated in 1909 as one of the largest Catholic churches in Thailand. It was built on a previous structure of more than 300 years. It was constructed in Gothic style during the 10 years of occupation by France on this territory although it remained unfinished at that time (1893–1904). There is a statue of the Virgin Mary in front of the Cathedral.
The centre piece of the inside of the cathedral is the statue of the Virgin Mary. It is covered by semi precious gems donated by the local congregation – estimates of the number of gems range from 200,000 to 500,000. It serves as the Roman or Latin rite seat of the Diocese of Chanthaburi which was created in 1965 with the Bull "Qui in fastigio" of Pope Paul VI. It is under the pastoral responsibility of the Bishop Silvio Siripong Charatsri.
Chanthaburi's Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is the largest Catholic building in Thailand. With its two towers, it became the symbol of the city. It is the fifth church built there. The Catholic Church on Chanthanimit Road on the river bank is the largest Catholic edifice in Thailand. Built in 1909, it is of Gothic architectural style. The original tall roof was taken down during World War II to make it less conspicuous as a possible target.
The statue is special, as it is a gift to the church from the Chanthaburi Christian gems dealers and goldsmiths community. It is one of the older communities in Chanthaburi composed mostly of people Vietnamese origin. The first arrivals was about 200 years ago when Vietnamese Catholics were trying to escape the religious persecutions of the Vietnamese emperors. The second was during the French colonial times when Vietnamese people fled the French controlled Indochina and came to settle in Thailand and finally after 1975 and the Communist victory in Vietnam.
The statue of the Virgin Mary is nearly completely covered with gold, gemstones and enamels. The blue of her cloak is composed of several thousand blue sapphires originating from within Thailand ( Chanthaburi and Kanchanaburi ). Her white dress is made of hundreds of white sapphires from Sri Lanka. She is standing on a green globe where the oceans are again a mosaic of blue sapphires from Thailand while the land masses are composed of hundreds of yellow and orange ( probably beryllium treated ) sapphires from Songea ( Tanzania ) and few yellow and orange sapphires from Chanthaburi highly appreciated here as butsarakam. If you stand on Niramon Bridge, which connects the communities on the east and west banks of the Chanthaburi River, you’ll soon spot a remarkably elegant Gothic-style building that’s one of the principal landmarks in Chanthaburi province.
Standing amongst traditional wooden Thai houses, the European style building’s rich history dates back almost 300 years, which was when Chanthaburi’s Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, the largest church in Thailand, was originally established in a rather more modest form.
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception trip, 110. Soi 1 Mu 10, Chanthanimit, Mueang Chanthaburi District, Chanthaburi, Thailand.
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Chanthaburi.
The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is a Catholic church and is located in the city of Chanthaburi, in the province of the same name, in Thailand. The cathedral, visible from most of the city, was formally inaugurated in 1909 as one of the largest Catholic churches in Thailand. It was built on a previous structure of more than 300 years. It was constructed in Gothic style during the 10 years of occupation by France on this territory although it remained unfinished at that time (1893–1904). There is a statue of the Virgin Mary in front of the Cathedral.
The centre piece of the inside of the cathedral is the statue of the Virgin Mary. It is covered by semi precious gems donated by the local congregation – estimates of the number of gems range from 200,000 to 500,000. It serves as the Roman or Latin rite seat of the Diocese of Chanthaburi which was created in 1965 with the Bull "Qui in fastigio" of Pope Paul VI. It is under the pastoral responsibility of the Bishop Silvio Siripong Charatsri.
Chanthaburi's Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is the largest Catholic building in Thailand. With its two towers, it became the symbol of the city. It is the fifth church built there. The Catholic Church on Chanthanimit Road on the river bank is the largest Catholic edifice in Thailand. Built in 1909, it is of Gothic architectural style. The original tall roof was taken down during World War II to make it less conspicuous as a possible target.
The statue is special, as it is a gift to the church from the Chanthaburi Christian gems dealers and goldsmiths community. It is one of the older communities in Chanthaburi composed mostly of people Vietnamese origin. The first arrivals was about 200 years ago when Vietnamese Catholics were trying to escape the religious persecutions of the Vietnamese emperors. The second was during the French colonial times when Vietnamese people fled the French controlled Indochina and came to settle in Thailand and finally after 1975 and the Communist victory in Vietnam.
The statue of the Virgin Mary is nearly completely covered with gold, gemstones and enamels. The blue of her cloak is composed of several thousand blue sapphires originating from within Thailand ( Chanthaburi and Kanchanaburi ). Her white dress is made of hundreds of white sapphires from Sri Lanka. She is standing on a green globe where the oceans are again a mosaic of blue sapphires from Thailand while the land masses are composed of hundreds of yellow and orange ( probably beryllium treated ) sapphires from Songea ( Tanzania ) and few yellow and orange sapphires from Chanthaburi highly appreciated here as butsarakam. If you stand on Niramon Bridge, which connects the communities on the east and west banks of the Chanthaburi River, you’ll soon spot a remarkably elegant Gothic-style building that’s one of the principal landmarks in Chanthaburi province.
Standing amongst traditional wooden Thai houses, the European style building’s rich history dates back almost 300 years, which was when Chanthaburi’s Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, the largest church in Thailand, was originally established in a rather more modest form.