As they filled church pews for their last Mass under Portuguese rule, many of Macau's 20,000 Catholics must have been saying a special prayer.
Their concern that Beijing, which has driven millions of mainland believers underground with its opposition to the Pope, will flex its muscle in Macau is inevitable.
'Of course we are anxious for the future,' said Bishop Domingos Lam, the mainland-born head of the local Catholic community. 'But we cannot be dominated by fear. For once dominated by fear, we can't do anything.' Between its bright lights and seedy night spots, Macau has Asia's highest concentration of churches for such a small area.
And, while only about four per cent of the population is Catholic, and thriving gambling and prostitution say little for Catholic influence, the Church has a 423-year link with the community and resolve is strong.
Across the border, mainland Catholics are stifled by a government which refuses to accept the Pope as their spiritual leader.
An official body appoints bishops and priests, and parishioners who stay loyal to the Vatican are forced to go underground, creating a shadow church believed to have up to 10 million members.