St. Saviour's Cathedral, the only preserved Gothic-style church in Anhui, will be put into use this Easter after about five-year restoration.
The renovation of the church located in Anqing started on May 28, 2012, and the principal part of the project was completed on Oct 10, 2015, followed by interior fit-out and furnishing. Before the restoration of this century-old cathedral, the church staff of Anqing relocated the 38 households who lived in the cathedral after more than a decade's effort.
Rev. Zheng Yuguo, chairman of Anqing TSPM, tells CCD that the church is training its volunteer team to establish its image and enhance its quality.
As one of the ten Gothic cathedrals of the former Anglican church in China, the church originally belonged to the Episcopal Church (TEC) of the USA, with construction started in 1900 and completed in 1903. In 1991, it was listed as a municipality protected historic site.
In 1910, the church was the Cathedral in Anhui and Jiangxi parish, and it had jurisdiction over Anhui and Jiangxi on church matters. A total of three bishops and over ten Chinese and foreign chairmen once worked in the church.
In 1938 when the Japanese army invaded Anqing, the cathedral was damaged, but its main structure remained intact. During the Cultural Revolution, the church was converted into staff quarters by shoe factories and other businesses, where 38 families resided. After the reform and opening up, then it was qualified as the ancient church that covered the largest area in the whole province. In 1984, it was returned to the church of Anqing.
Translated by Karen Luo
