Assumption Cathedral, Bangkok
Assumption Cathedral had been visited by two supreme pontiffs. The church is open seven days a week. The significant part of the cathedral is in the crypt underneath the Sanctuary which kept the remains of the bishops and the missionaries including that of Fr Nicholas Boonkerd Kitbamrung who was proclaimed a martyr by Pope John Paul II on 5 March 2000 in Vatican. Cardinal Michael Meechai Kitboonchu. His relics were transferred to the shrine built in the compound of St. Peter’s church in Sampran, Nakornprathom Province. Roman Catholic diocese there. There still remains a special altar devoted to him on the left side of the cathedral.
Inside is a high ceiling adorned with many ornate decorations. It underwent extensive restoration shortly afterwards, and was partly refurbished in the 1980s and 1990s. Stained glass windows are now used in the cathedral today. Construction costs were largely covered by a local catholic businessman, Mr Low Khiok Chiang (also known as Jacobe) who owned the nearby Kiam Hoa Heng & Company, a Chinese Teochew family business. In 1942, during World War II, nearby buildings were destroyed by allied bombing which resulted in serious damage to the church.
The cathedral is used to celebrate functions such as ordination of deacons, priests and bishops, and is said to be the centre of Catholics in Thailand. Visitors include, on 4 May 1946, King Ananda Mahidol with his younger brother, then-Prince Bhumibol Adulyadej. Pope John Paul II visited on 10 May 1984. On 22 July 1995, Princesses Soamsawali and Bajirakitiyabha visited the cathedral during a religious ceremony for the soul of the late King’s mother. In 2002 the Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn and his consort Srirasmi visited the Catholic community at the Assumption Cathedral.
Throughout the latter half of the 19th century, the church and surrounding area played an important role for Christian missionaries arriving in Bangkok, particularly after 1860. The cathedral is part of a series of buildings which consist of Assumption Convent School (Thailand), Catholic Mission of Bangkok, Assumption Printing Press and rectory which were inhabited by the missionaries during their time in the city. The church has a relatively tall rectangular structure with a red brick exterior which stands out against its surrounding white buildings. The tall square towers flank the main entrance.
The Assumption Cathedral (Thai: อาสนวิหารอัสสัมชัญ) is the principal Roman Catholic church of Thailand, located at 23 Oriental Avenue, New Road, in the Bang Rak District of Bangkok. It is the main church of the Archdiocese of Bangkok.
