A two meter bronze statue of the revered Jesuit missioner, Father Matteo Ricci, has been unveiled in Macau where he lived and worked for about a year in the 16th century.

The unveiling took place on August 7, the same day that Father Ricci first arrived in Macau and set foot on Chinese soil, 428 years ago. The ceremony at the Ruins of St. Paul’s, a former Catholic church that is now a UNESCO world heritage site, was attended by around 500 guests including Bishop Jose Lai Hung-seng of Macau and Mario Spacca, the president of Italy’s Marche region where Father Ricci was born.

“We are welcoming Father Ricci back to his second home,” said Father Louis Gendron, Jesuit Chinese provincial superior, at the unveiling. The statue is alongside four others of Jesuit missioners and Father Gendron pointed out an important difference between them. “Only Father Ricci is in Chinese costume,” he said, “because he truly loved China."

Father Ricci traveled extensively throughout China and the statue honors his knowledge and deep affection for the culture by depicting him in the robes of a Ming dynasty mandarin, holding a classical Chinese text and a calligraphy brush.

"This is a historical moment for the Church and an opportunity for evangelization," said Father Howard Lui Ching-hay, Jesuit superior in Macau. “The statue stands in the Ruins of St. Paul’s and can be easily seen by the public, which will encourage more people to find out about him.”

Father Ricci’s arrival in Macau is also being commemorated with a set of Post Office stamps released on the same day and an exhibition about the life and times of Matteo Ricci at the Art Museum of Macau.

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