Theodore Joset (Chinese: 若瑟神父; 7 October 1804 – 5 August 1842)[1] was a Swiss priest and the first Prefect Apostolic of Hong Kong.
[6] Given the alarming rate of illness and death among British soldiers there, Josef realized that the services of Catholic priests had become an urgent requirement in Hong Kong.
Consequently, Pope Gregory XVI decreed to create an Apostolic Prefecture that would include "Hong Kong with the surrounding six leagues," and would be independent of the Macau Diocese, on 22 April 1841.
Joset's action and the Church's response enraged the Portuguese authorities in Macau, who claimed jurisdiction on Hong Kong.
[5] He oversaw the laying of foundation stone of the first Catholic church in Hong Kong dedicated to the Immaculate Conception in Wellington Street on 7 June 1842.