Marian devotion
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El Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima of Tamsui custody one of the oldest Catholic stories in northern Taiwan and, at the same time, a decisive root of Taiwanese devotion to Fatima. The present parish links the first mission of the 17th century with the Dominican missionary renewal and the Marian consecration of the 20th century.
Chinese name: Holy Mother Fatima of Freshwater.
Place: Dark, Nueva Taipei.
First Catholic announcement in Tamsui: 1632.
Modern stable mission: since 1889.
Our Lady of Fatima as patron: 1949.
diocesan recognition as a place of Fatima: October 12, 1950.
Church of Fatima: 1961.
Jurisdiction: Catholic archdiocese of Taipei.
A long Christian history in Tamsui
The official history of the parish dates back to 1632, during the Spanish presence in the north of Formosa. That first stage ended in 1638. The modern Catholic mission began again in 1889 with the Dominicans and was growing through chapels, schools and pastoral service.
In the summer of 1949, Father Kao Shih-chien took over the parish and elected Our Lady of Fatima as patron. On 12 October 1950, Archbishop Joseph Kuo Jo-shih formally linked the temple to this advocation. The Taiwanese Catholic press describes it as the first of the pilgrimage places dedicated to Fatima on the island.
The church of 1961
The building dedicated to Fatima was built in 1961. The archdiocesan documentation presents it as the first great church of Taiwan consecrated to Our Lady of Fatima. From there the Rosary, the pilgrimages and the celebrations of the 13th days linked to the apparitions of 1917 were spread.
Over the decades, structural wear, leaks and recurrent repairs made it necessary to prepare a reconstruction. The community publicly maintains its project so that the sanctuary will continue to be a house of prayer for future generations.
Pilgrimage and multicultural life
The archdiocese announces Marian pilgrimages from May 13 to October 13. The community celebrates the Eucharist in Chinese and also hosts masses in English and Vietnamese, reflecting the Catholic diversity of the Taipei area. In 2025, he received a massive Jubilee pilgrimage from the local Church.
The identity of the sanctuary is attached to the request of Fatima: conversion of the heart, reparation, peace and Rosary. No local apparitions are attributed to Tamsui; its importance comes from having received and rooted this invocation in Taiwan.
Verified location
The Archdiocese publishes Qingshui Street 218 and the community adds Zhongshan Road 139 as the main façade. The precise location code published for the site focuses on 25.1714375, 121.4403125. The marker represents the historical sanctuary and not another church in Tamsui.
Prayer to Our Lady of Fatima of Tamsui
Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima, Mother venerated in Tamsui, keeps alive the faith sown for so many centuries. Follow the renewal of your sanctuary, gather their communities of different languages and make every pilgrim find Christ. Get for Taiwan and for the world conversion, justice and peace. Amen.
Sources consulted
- Archdiocese of Taipei: official history, direction and liturgical life.
- Archdiocese of Taipei: official record in English.
- Archdiocese: history and reconstruction project.
- Current official site of the sanctuary.
- Catholic Weekly: historical study of the Tamsui shrine.
- GCatholic: temple mapping and identification.
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