St. Joseph's Church, Semarang
| St. Joseph's Church | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Coordinates: 6°57′57″S 110°25′52″E / 6.965963°S 110.431006°E | |
| Location | Semarang |
| Country | Indonesia |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architect(s) | W. I. van Bakel |
| Style | Neogothic |
| Groundbreaking | 1 October 1870 |
| Completed | 12 December 1875 |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 800 |
| Number of floors | 2 |
| Number of spires | 1 |
| Bells | 2 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Gedangan |
| Province | Semarang |
St. Joseph's Church (Indonesian: Gereja Santo Yosef), also known as Gedangan Church, is a Catholic church in Semarang, Indonesia, the first such church in the city. Administratively, it is part of the St. Joseph's Parish in the Archdiocese of Semarang.
Constructed between 1870 and 1875 to meet the needs of Semarang's growing Catholic population, the red-brick church building was designed by the Dutch architect W. I. van Bakel and built at a cost of 110,000 gulden. The church grew extensively over the following fifty years, at first dominated by ethnic Europeans and persons of mixed descent but later having a majority indigenous congregation. As the Catholic population grew, the size of the parish diminished as new ones were established.
The church complex consists of, among other things, the church building, a presbytery, and a convent. St. Joseph's itself is highly decorated, including nineteen stained glass windows (including three dedicated to church's patron saint, Joseph), carvings showing the fourteen Stations of the Cross, and an altar imported from Germany. The single tower is home to two bells produced by Petit & Fritsen.
The Roman Catholic Church first entered Semarang, Dutch East Indies, in what is now Central Java, Indonesia, in the early 19th century. In 1808 Father Lambertus Prinsen (1777–1840) was sent from the Netherlands to the Indies as the pastor for Semarang and several surrounding settlements, including Salatiga and Klaten. He quickly established a council for handling religious duties, and baptisms began the following year; fourteen people, mostly Dutch, were baptised in 1809. However, this congregation did not have a church in which they could pray. Until 1815 the congregation used the nearby Immanuel Church, a building intended for Protestants. Between 1815 and 1822 services were held at the homes of members of the congregation, then from 7 August 1822 Mass was held at Prinsen's new home (near Immanuel).
...
Wikipedia