Cathedral of the Holy Cross, Lagos
| Holy Cross Cathedral | |
|---|---|
| Cathedral of the Holy Cross, Lagos | |
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| Location | Lagos Island |
| Country | Nigeria |
| Denomination | Catholicism |
| Website | [1] |
| History | |
| Associated people | Nigerians |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Lagos State Grade 3 listed building |
| Designated | Listed Sites Preservation Law 2011 Properties Law |
| Previous cathedrals | 1883-1934 Pro-Cathedral |
| Architect(s) | Lazarus Borges da Silva and Francisco Nobre |
| Style | French Gothic |
| Years built | 1934-1939 |
| Completed | 1939 |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos |
| Clergy | |
| Archbishop | Alfred Adewale Martins |
The Cathedral of the Holy Cross is a Church of the Catholic diocese in Lagos, Nigeria.
The chief interest of the Catholic Missionaries at this time and for some years after was in the large community of Portuguese-speaking Catholics who had returned from the new world, chiefly Brazil and who had been so persistent in requesting the opening of a mission station. There were also strong communities of English speaking Protestants, many of whom had come in from Sierra Leone. But as at Whydah and Porto Novo, the bulk of the population was indigenous, consisting of the descendants of the migrants from the island of Iddo and the village of Ebute Metta.
On January 5, 1861 another group of French Missionaries (SMA) left Toulon in France led by Rev. Fr. Francesco Xavier Borghero, Fr. Francisco Fernandez, and Fr. Louis Edde made another heroic attempt to travel to this expensive stretch of African sub-region. Unfortunately Fr. Louis Edde died as soon as they landed in Freetown. The other two priests summoned courage and travelled to Benin and settled at Whydah. In this area there was a large number of liberated African slaves from Brazil who had imbibed the catholic faith prior to the return to West Africa around 1845. The zeal of the Brazilian returnees in Lagos and Porto Novo soon led Fr. Borghero to personally extend pastoral services to these areas from Whydah. However prior to the arrival of Father Borghero, the Brazilians were been held in prayers, rosary and other devotion by a renowned catechist nicknamed "Padre Anthonio". He led them from 1838 to 1863.
The next call to Lagos was made by Fr. Borghero himself on his way to Freetown in 1862 when he offered mass in the house of a renowned Catholic. On his return from Freetown he remained in Lagos for a few days. Exploring the town, meeting some of the christians. When these started making a collection to have a mission station opened he asked them to desist because he said he could not promise to do what they asked. He was not able even to visit them again until September 8, 1863. (Feast of the birthday of our Blessed Lady). This was on a pastoral as the first missionary to the Brazilian catholic community in the Popo Aguda area of Lagos. He offered the first mass in the compound of Senhor Isidore Ezekiel de Souza at 12, Taiwo Street in Lagos on the 24th September 1863 attended by the Brazilian Papais, Momois, Titias, Titieus, Yayas, Yoyos, Senhors and the Senhors.
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