Our Lady of Hope Church (Portuguese: IgrejadeNossaSenhoradaEsperança), one of the earliest Chinese churches in Macao, used to be the Cathedral of the Bishop of Macao before the establishment of the Bishop's Cathedral in the foreground of the Cathedral, which was the first Cathedral after the establishment of the Diocese of Macao. Whenever a new bishop comes to Macao to take up his duties, he must first go to the St. Dominic's Church to receive the mace in order to exercise his authority and responsibility. Therefore, St. Dominic's Church enjoys a high status among the Catholics in Macau.