History of

The Immaculate Conception Cathedral

“Genuine and Unwavering Faith is a Precious Gift of God”

The Catholic Community of Chanthaburi was born and continues to grow on the basis of this faith.

According to the historical records, this thriving and nearly 300-year old catholic community of Chantaburi began with an original group of 130 Vietnamese Catholics, who immigrated to Thailand to escape the religious persecution in Vietnam before 1711, at the end of the reign of King Tai Sa (King Sanphet IX) of the Ayudhya period. They undoubtedly brought with them their religion and culture. Presently, this faith group has continued to grow to become a large community.

Bishop Pion de Cise assigned Rev. Hert to look after this Catholic community. The integral part of this community has been its church, which has become one of the archetypes of the Catholic architecture in Thailand. It was built for the purpose of Christian worship and liturgical ceremonies. It is a holy shrine, the center of faith unity and of faith propagation to other people.

The present Cathedral is the fifth one, built in Chanthaburi, and is almost 100 years old. It is conducive to maintaining continuous growth of the Catholic faith. The history of this church – cum – Cathedral can be summarized as follows.