Known by locals as Sent Antuan, the Church of St. Anthony of Padua is the largest Catholic church in Istanbul. The original church was built in 1725 but was later demolished to make way for a tramway. It was rebuilt in 1912 with a neo-gothic style and designed by Turkish architect Giulio Mongeri. The church was built for some 40,000 Roman-Catholics who lived in Istanbul at the turn of the 20th century and is run by Italian priests. In the inner patio of the church stands a proud statue of Pope John XXIII who was known as the Turkish Pope. He was the Vatican's ambassador to Turkey and spent about ten years preaching in this church before he became Pope.