Holy Rosary Cathedral, Roman Catholic cathedral in Semarang City, Indonesia
The Holy Rosary Cathedral is a neo-Gothic church in the Randusari district of Semarang, Indonesia. The building has a pointed facade with arched windows, a tower, and a broad main hall with high ceilings inside.
The building was completed in 1927 and originally served as a parish church for the city's growing Catholic population. It became a cathedral in 1940 when Albertus Soegijapranata was appointed as Semarang's first archbishop.
The cathedral is the main church for Semarang's Catholic community and is used for regular worship, feasts, and celebrations. It sits in a city where most residents are Muslim, making it a visible and active center of Christian life.
The cathedral sits close to the Tugu Muda monument and is easy to reach on foot from central Semarang. Visitors should dress with covered shoulders and knees, and check whether a service is in progress before entering.
During the Japanese occupation in World War II, Archbishop Soegijapranata reportedly told soldiers they could only enter this church over his dead body. The building survived while much of the surrounding area was destroyed.
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