Shitsu Church

Father de Rotz's Church at Shitsu

The Shitsu Church (出津教会堂) is a Catholic church of 1882 in Nishishitsumachi, Nagasaki City, Nagasaki Prefecture, and was designated an Important Cultural Property on November 29, 2011 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

The Agency records a three-aisled church of brick and timber under a gabled tiled roof, with towers at front and back and doors in both sides, covering 395.46 square metres; a stone retaining wall is designated with it; designation number 02581.

The Church Built by Father de Rotz

Shitsu Church stands on the west coast of the Nishisonogi Peninsula in northwest Nagasaki City (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It was built by the French missionary Marc Marie de Rotz, known as Father de Rotz; it was consecrated in 1882 and, after additions at the front and back, took its present form in 1909.

Set on a levelled ridge, it is 36.3 metres long and 10.9 metres wide, with a bell tower at the centre of the front, a small tower at the back and everyday doors in the sides (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Inside, the church has three aisles, with the altar at the southeast end of the nave.

The information centre for the World Heritage sites of hidden Christians in Nagasaki explains that the hidden Christians of Shitsu returned to the Catholic Church after the "discovery of the hidden Christians", built a temporary chapel in 1873, and in 1882 raised Shitsu Church on high ground overlooking the village.

Why It Is an Important Cultural Property

The Agency finds in its interior, where columns and light draw the eye to the altar, the consistent design thinking of Father de Rotz across some 30 years of building work. As one of the rare early churches of the first half of the Meiji era, enlarged in balance by the same designer, it was designated an Important Cultural Property on November 29, 2011.

What to Look For

Notice the bell tower at the centre of the front, and inside, how the columns and daylight lead the eye towards the altar (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

Visiting

According to the hidden Christian sites information centre, visits must be arranged in advance; visitors are received from 9:00 a.m. to noon and from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m., and a church warden is always on site. Mass and church events are held from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. on the first and third Sundays, and the interior may be closed during services. Parking is at the Sotome History and Folklore Museum or the free municipal car park for the Sotome Shitsu district.