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Church built by soccer great Del Piero draws visitors to East Nusa Tenggara
Del Piero also left his signature on the church’s bell.
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Saint Anthony Padua Sasi Catholic Church in Kefamenanu in North Central Timor, East Nusa Tenggara.
(JP/Valentino Luis)
T
he Saint Anthony Padua Sasi Catholic Church in Kefamenanu, North Central Timor regency, East Nusa Tenggara, was built from a donation from legendary Italian soccer player Alessandro Del Piero.
The church, which was constructed from rocks, has attracted congregants as well as religious tourists. It was established in 2003.
"The church, with its iconic design, has attracted many people, not only from [East Nusa Tenggara] but also from abroad," father Titus Khian, the church's priest, told The Jakarta Post on Friday.
He said Del Piero himself decided to fund the church’s construction because its first parish priest was his uncle. The priest, named Antonio Razzoli, also works as an architect and helped design the church.
The church is also known for its unique, semi-circle structure. It is 7 meters tall and was constructed from rocks and top-quality wood.
The walls are covered with Timor textiles, which gives a strong message of cultural harmony. Del Piero has also left his signature on the church’s bell. (dpk)
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Editor's note: In the original version of this article, we included a photo that was mistakenly identified as the work of Santos. The photo actually belongs to Valentino Luis. We have updated the photo credit accordingly and apologize for the error.
