A HISTORICAL OUTLINE

• In 1860, Italian missionaries built the Church of our Lady of the Rosary in Xiamen
• In 1873, a residence for priests was completed.
• In 1877, the Church of Compassion was constructed, it housed 5,543 orphans and abandoned babies from 1877-1951.
• In 1915, Zheng Yi Primary school was founded
• Christ the King Church in Gulang island was completed by Spanish missionaries in 1917
• In 1920, the construction of Xiang Shan Hotel began
• In 1942, religious services were suspended during the ‘Cultural Revolution’ to be resumed only in 1982
• In 1943, Ruo De Hospital was built and for many years was run by a Filipino-British director; it eventually became the Kai Yuan District Hospital in 1958
• Christ the King Church was declared as the 6th Cultural Preservation Site in the province on May 11, 2005 by the Fujian Provincial government .

A historical footnote

Xiamen Catholic Church played an important role in the Minnan speaking region. It was the center of catechetical activity for the Putian, Taiwan and Jinmen districts. From 1883 to 1913, Taiwan and Jinmen catechetical administrations were under its jurisdiction.