In the 17th Century, the Spanish introduced Catholicism to Taiwan; however, Catholic missionary work was halted after the introduction of Christianity by the Dutch. In 1859, Father Fernando Sainz from the Holy Rosary Province of the Dominican Order inherited the unfinished mission and officially started the development of Catholicism in Taiwan with the first Catholic Church built in Kaohsiung. In 1953, with the efforts of Father Julian Villegas and Father Domínguez Antoniono, Catholicism finally set root in A Hou City (today’s Pingtung City).The two fathers, at first, established a church in an old residence on Yongfu Road. As the number of members grew, the Dominican Order decided to purchase a strip of land on Gongyuan Road in 1959. After a decade of hardship, the church was finally established on the day of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, which was how the church got its name.The external walls of Holy Cross Church are finished with terrazzo to deliver a sense of simplicity and solemnity. There are statues of the Crucifix and Calvary as well as Saint Mary and Saint Joseph in the church, which is big enough to accommodate hundreds of people. There are grand celebrations every Easter, the anniversary of the church in September, and Christmas in December.