Draft:St. Margaret's Church, Hong Kong

St. Margaret's Church, aka St. Margaret Mary's Church, is a Roman Catholic church in Happy Valley, Victoria City, Hong Kong. Located at 2A Broadwood Road on the southeastern foot of Leighton Hill, it is the first church in the East named after St. Margaret Mary Alacoque. It was established by the Pontificium Institutum pro Missionibus Exteris (PIME). The foundation stone was laid by Pietro (Peter) M de Maria, MEM on 3 February, 1923. It was consecrated and opened on 25 January, 1925. It was upgraded to a parish church on 25 January, 1949. The church is now listed as a Grade I historic building.

Architecture
It was designed by Italian architect Ugo Gonella in neoclassical style. The steps leading up to the front of the church were split into two tiers with seventeen in each. Four Doric columns support a triangular pediment at the porch in the fashion of a traditional Greek temple. A round window of floral motif design exists in the middle pediment with the words "The Church of God" in Chinese characters inscribed in gold paint under it. On the two sides of the main entrance at the porch are two large statues, one of St. Peter holding a book in one hand and keys in the other, signifying the promise made by Jesus in authorising his role in leading believers into the Kingdom of God. St. Paul on the other side, holds a sword in one hand and a book in the other, pointing to his spreading of the Gospel and also died under the sword for it. The main doors of grand scale and design and with its surmounting post over the steps, summons a sense of solemnity and drama which make St. Margaret's church a popular choice of the wedding ceremony by believers.

The building was listed as a Grade II historic building in Hong Kong in 1990, and was confirmed to be upgraded to a Grade I historic building on 21 December, 2010.