St. Paul's College, Macau facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
St. Paul's College, Macau

Ruins of St. Paul's, showing the remaining facade of the Madre de Deus church
Former names	Madre de Deus School
Type	Private Roman Catholic research non-profit all-male Higher education institution
Active	1594–1762
Founder	Fr. Alessandro Valignano, SJ
Religious affiliation	Roman Catholic (Jesuit)
Location	Santo António , Macau , China

St. Paul's College of Macau was a very important school founded in 1594. It was started by a group of Catholic priests called the Jesuits in Macau. At that time, Macau was a Portuguese trading port. The college was also known as the College of Madre de Deus.

This college was special because it was the first Western-style university in East Asia. It helped prepare Jesuit missionaries who were traveling to places like China and Japan. The school taught many subjects, including theology (the study of religion), philosophy, mathematics, geography, and astronomy. Students also learned Latin, Portuguese, and Chinese. There was even a school for music and arts!

St. Paul's College was very important for learning about Eastern languages and cultures. Many famous scholars, like Matteo Ricci, Johann Adam Schall von Bell, and Ferdinand Verbiest, studied or taught there. They were some of the first Western experts on China, known as sinologists.

The college was a main base for missionaries going to China, Japan, and other parts of East Asia. It closed in 1762 when the Portuguese government expelled the Jesuits. Sadly, the buildings were destroyed in a big fire in 1835. Today, only the famous facade (front wall) of the church remains. These are known as the Ruins of St. Paul's. In 2005, they became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

A Look at History

Represented (top): Matteo Ricci, Adam Schall von Bell, Ferdinand Verbiest
Bottom: Paul Siu, a high-ranking official; Candide Hiu, his granddaughter.

Macau became a key trading center in 1557. It was the main place where China, Japan, and Europe traded goods. In 1571, the city of Nagasaki in Japan also opened for Portuguese ships. This led to a busy trade route between Macau and Nagasaki. This time was known as the "Nanban trade period".

Missionaries in Asia

Christian missionaries, especially the Jesuits, started working in Japan in 1549. Francis Xavier, one of the Jesuit founders, was welcomed and allowed to preach. Many Japanese leaders, called daimyōs, became Christian. Some did this to get access to trade and weapons.

In 1576, the Pope made Japan part of the Portuguese diocese of Macau. This meant Macau was the religious center for Japan. In 1578, Alessandro Valignano came to Macau to check on the Jesuit missions. He saw that learning languages was a big problem. Missionaries needed to speak, read, and write Chinese to succeed in China.

Valignano asked for help, and two Jesuit scholars, Michele Ruggieri and Matteo Ricci, came to Macau. They became the first European scholars to deeply study China and the Chinese language.

Language Learning and the College

Valignano also visited Japan in 1579. He made it a rule that all new missionaries in Japan had to spend two years learning the Japanese language. This helped them communicate much better than before.

In 1580, a Japanese leader gave the Jesuits control over Nagasaki. Around the same time, Spain took over Portugal. This worried people in Macau and Nagasaki because it could affect their trade. However, the Portuguese in Macau were allowed to keep their local government. Macau grew richer, and Jesuits even got involved in trade. This was unusual for priests, and the Pope later ordered them to stop trading.

In 1594, St. Paul's College of Macau was officially approved by the Jesuit leader in Rome. It grew from an earlier school called Madre de Deus. The college had different parts:

• Two seminaries for brothers (religious men who are not priests).
• A university with departments for arts, philosophy, and theology.
• A primary school.
• A school for music and arts.

By 1595, the Jesuits had even printed a Japanese grammar book and a dictionary in Nagasaki. They also printed many other books in Japanese. The Japanese dictionary was very detailed, with over 32,000 entries.

From 1597 to 1762, the college was very important for learning Eastern languages and cultures. It made Macau a center for spreading Christianity in China and Japan. The college's teaching program was very complete, like a university. It taught important subjects such as theology, philosophy, mathematics, geography, astronomy, Latin, Portuguese, and Chinese. Many famous scholars taught and learned there. It was the largest seminary (a school for training priests) in East Asia at that time. It was also the first Western-style university in the region.

Jesuit priests who wanted to go to China first came to St. Paul's College. There, they learned Chinese and other things about Chinese culture and ideas. This knowledge helped them understand and respect local Chinese customs.

Important Scholars

Many smart and famous people were connected to St. Paul's College. Here are a few:

• Alessandro Valignano (1578): He founded the college in 1594. He strongly supported the study of the Japanese language and Chinese language.
• Michele Ruggieri (1579): He helped write the first ever Portuguese-Chinese dictionary.
• Matteo Ricci (1582): He also helped write the first Portuguese-Chinese dictionary. He was very famous for bringing Western science to China.
• João Rodrigues (around 1574–77 and 1610–33): He helped create the first Portuguese-Japanese dictionary, called the Nippo Jisho.
• Johann Adam Schall von Bell (1619): He was an advisor to the Chinese emperor and led the Imperial Observatory.
• Alexander de Rhodes (1630–1640): He wrote the first Vietnamese-Portuguese-Latin dictionary.
• Michał Boym (1643): He taught at the college and wrote many books about Asian animals, plants, and geography.
• Ferdinand Verbiest (1659): He was a mathematician and astronomer. He helped correct the Chinese calendar and led the Observatory.
• Thomas Pereira (around 1665–73): He is thought to have brought Western music to China. He also helped with an important peace treaty.

See also

• Jesuit China missions
• Padroado
• Saint Paul's College, Goa
• List of Jesuit sites