In the heart of Tallinn's Lower Old Town is the Cathedral Church of Saints Peter and Paul - the most important Roman Catholic church in Estonia. The history of the origins of the church and the restoration of the Catholic community in Tallinn (after more than two centuries of domination by the Lutheran Church) is linked to the Polish soldiers from the Tsarist army who settled here. The local Catholic community grew so significantly in the early 19th century that it was given a part of the Dominican monastery, closed in the mid-16th century, to use for worship. The building adaptation of the former monastery refectory for use as a church was carried out according to a design by the well-known St Petersburg architect Carlo Rossi (originally from Italy). The project envisaged - based on the preserved monastery walls - the construction of a neo-Gothic basilica, without an apse, with a magnificent two-tower neo-classical façade. The temple was consecrated in 1845 and its decoration was also kept in the neo-Gothic style. The church was known as the "Polish church" for many years, Poles even still making up the majority of the worshippers here at the beginning of the 20th century. Between 1920 and 1924, the main west façade of the church received its current appearance, designed by architects Erich Jacoby and Franz de Vries, slightly diverging from the original Rossi façade. The interior of the church still follows the original design, but the woodcarving neo-Gothic decoration has been removed. The cathedral has undergone a number of renovations, the most recent in 2002, when the historic colours of the church from the second half of the 19th century were restored. The altar painting, 'Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven', is a copy of Guido Reni's 1640 work, Madonna Assunta, which is said to have come from King Ludwig I of Bavaria. Just beyond the main entrance to the church to the left, deep in the nave under the choir, is the chapel of Our Lady of Czestochowa with a copy of the Jasna Gora painting, confirming the church's strong links with Polish culture. The Tallinn Cathedral has for years been a place of integration for the local Polish community. Sunday mass at 10 a.m. in Tallinn Cathedral, with services celebrated in Polish, is a traditional meeting place for Poles living here. The restored monastery interiors (including the beautifully polychrome wooden ceiling) in the John Paul II parish hall are often used for larger meetings. There is a small photographic exhibition documenting the pastoral visit of John Paul II to Estonia in September 1993. At that time, the Polish Pope celebrated Mass in Tallinn's market square, visited the Catholic cathedral and took part in an ecumenical service. The Catholic Church in Estonia has about 6-7 thousand faithful (out of a population of 1.3 million), grouped in ten parishes. Pastoral work is carried out by a dozen priests (the majority are Polish). In 2016, the diocesan missionary seminary 'Redemptoris Mater' was founded - the first seminary in Estonia's history. Organisationally, the Catholic Church in Estonia retains the formula of an Apostolic Administration directly subordinated (and financed) by the Vatican. Since 2005, Fr Philippe Jourdan of France has served as Bishop of Estonia.