Two of three statues commissioned from an Italian artist were unveiled on the weekend by Italian Bishop Claudio Giuliodori of Macareta and Bishop Bosco Lin of Tainan at the Assumption Church in Tainan.

Sculptures of missionary Father Matteo Ricci and Xu Candida, granddaughter of evangelist Xu Guangqi, were unveiled on February 18.

Sandro Ermarn, the sculptor, said a third statue of Xu Guangqi, would take another month to complete.

He was sent to Taiwan in January from the home town of Fr Ricci to carve the statues.

Bishop Lin said the project aimed to establish closer ties between the dioceses of Tainan and Macareta.