The cathedral is included in the list of historical monuments of the Historic Centre of Macau, which in turn is included in the list of World Heritage Sites in China.

In the early seventeenth century it was a small wooden chapel, and was elevated to cathedral only in 1623.

The first cathedral built in stone, consecrated in 1850 by the then Bishop of Macau, Jerónimo José da Mata, was almost destroyed in a typhoon 24 years later, after having undergone major repairs.

The cathedral was completely rebuilt in concrete in 1937, costing approximately 100,900 patacas.

The service area of the cathedral is the second largest parish in the Peninsula of Macau, including New Road, South Bay and Outer Harbour Terminals in the lobby area.