Roseau Cathedral
| Our Lady of Fair Haven of Roseau | |
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Roseau Cathedral
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 Shown within Dominica
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| Basic information | |
| Location | Dominica |
| Geographic coordinates | 15°17′51″N 61°23′07″W / 15.2975°N 61.3853°WCoordinates: 15°17′51″N 61°23′07″W / 15.2975°N 61.3853°W |
| Affiliation | Roman Catholic |
| District | Diocese of Dominica |
| Province | Archdiocese of Castries |
| Year consecrated | 1916 (1925?) |
| Leadership | Bishop Gabriel Malzaire |
| Website | www |
| Architectural description | |
| Architectural type | Cathedral, parish church |
| Architectural style | Gothic Romanesque revival style. |
| Groundbreaking | Initially in 1730, then in 1816, 1855, 1873 and finally in the 20th century |
| Completed | 1916 (1925?) |
| Specifications | |
| Direction of façade | ENE |
| Materials | Volcanic stones |
The Cathedral of Our Lady of Fair Haven of Roseau, originally known in French as Église de Notre-Dame du Bon Port du Mouillage de Roseau, is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Roseau, the capital city of Dominica in the Caribbean. The church is the see of the Diocese of Dominica, suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Castries, Saint Lucia.
The cathedral is an example of European creolisation influence in Dominica. Built in the Gothic Romanesque revival style, the Cathedral's consecration, in its present form, is dated to 1916. Though it may appear small from the outside, the interior is spacious and well lit.
While Kalinago people originally called the region Sairi, French woodcutters named the city Roseau, in the 18th century.Roseau (reed) is the name of the river, the town, and the cathedral. The cathedral, originally called in French "Église de Notre-Dame du Bon Port du Mouillage de Roseau", is popularly known as "Our Lady of Fair Haven". It was also known at one time as "Our Lady of Bon Port".
The location of the cathedral in the southern part of the town of Roseau on the banks of the Roseau River, which assures a good water supply. The availability of a large plane of land on the south river bank also dictated the cathedral's location. The cathedral is located to the north of the Fort Young Hotel and northeast of the Dominica Museum.
The church at Roseau was initially a small wood hut with a thatched roof made of locally available reed. Carib people built the cathedral in the local building tradition.
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Wikipedia