Shitsu Church and Former Shitsu Aid Centre buildings｜Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region

Please contact us before you visit the churches for UNESCO World Heritage status.
* You can visit Oura Cathedral without prior notice.

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■Reference number for your prior notice

Manners for visiting the churches(/en/)

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Notice for visiting the churches

As the churches are the places for prayer, please observe visiting manners and feel the solemn atmosphere quietly.
In some cases we cannot accept visitation to the churches due to religious events (Mass, funerals, etc.) or a too large number of visitors. To avoid such situation, we ask you to make a prior notice for your visit.
In addition, the inside of Ono Church is not open to the public basically because of the deterioration, so the visit is the outside only.
Tabira Church is an important property to be related to the sites for UNESCO World Heritage status, and a lot of people visit the church.
For this reason, we ask to make a prior notice for your visit Tabira church in the same way as the sites.

Shitsu Church and Former Shitsu Aid Centre buildings

The mission base of de Rotz, who dedicated himself to assisting the needy

When he discovered the underground Christians, Petitjean realized that there were many other Christians hiding in the Sotome region. He appointed de Rotz as the parish priest of the Shitsu and Kurosaki districts. On an elevation commanding a view over the Sea of Goto, he established a church at his own expense. The building was extended and renovated again and again. A statue of Mary that he ordered from France is standing in the bell tower. The bell is gone, having been given up in response to metal collections during World War II.

The church was constructed in the same way as Oura Cathedral, which is now designated as a national treasure. A layer of mortar covers all the bricks used in constructing the walls of both churches. There are two side entrances, one for men and the other for women. Each of the entrances leads to separate pews on the right or the left inside the church. Putting importance on practical use, de Rotz designed a sturdy building with large depth. The low roofs and the flat or slightly vaulted ceilings are effective in withstanding the strong winds that blow there.

Access Reference

Click here to make a prior notice for your visit.