Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption, Port-au-Prince

Not to be confused with the Episcopal/Anglican Holy Trinity Cathedral, Port-au-Prince.
Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption

The Cathedral after the 12 January 2010 earthquake
Basic information
Location Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Geographic coordinates 18°32′56.6″N 72°20′19″W / 18.549056°N 72.33861°W / 18.549056; -72.33861
Affiliation Roman Catholic Church
District Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Port-au-Prince
Year consecrated 1928
Status Destroyed (2010)
Leadership Mgr Guire Poulard, Archbishop of Port-au-Prince
Architectural type Cathedral
Groundbreaking 1884
Completed 1914
Cathédrale in about 1924

The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption (French: Cathédrale Notre-Dame de L'Assomption), often called Port-au-Prince Cathedral (French: Cathédrale de Port-au-Prince), was a cathedral in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Built between 1884 and 1914, it was dedicated on December 13, 1928, and became the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Port-au-Prince.[1] The cathedral was destroyed in the 12 January 2010 earthquake.

Before its destruction, the cupola of the north tower of the Cathedral served as the front lighthouse of a pair guiding mariners into Port-au-Prince harbor.[2]

Destruction

Remnants of the Cathedral after its collapse. The aerial photo was taken 2 days after the earthquake of Tuesday, 12 January 2010.

The roof and the towers flanking the main entrance collapsed in the 12 January 2010 earthquake, although the lower parts of the walls remain standing.[3][4] The earthquake also destroyed the nunciature and the archdiocesan offices, killing Archbishop Joseph Serge Miot instantly[5] and Vicar General Charles Benoit later.[6][7]

Reconstruction

In March 2012, the Archdiocese of Port-au-Prince launched an international design competition inviting the architects of the world to submit ideas that will inform the reconstruction of the cathedral. A website www.ndapap.org was activated to promote and manage the competition.

See also

References

  1. "The Construction and the Deterioration of a National Treasure: Port-au-Prince Cathedral". Retrieved 2010-01-14.
  2. Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Haiti". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
  3. Deacon Keith Fournier (13 January 2010). "Breaking News: Devastating 7.0 Earthquake Hammers Beleagured [sic] Island Nation of Haiti". Catholic Online. Retrieved 13 January 2010.
  4. "Haiti Archbishop Killed in Quake as Churches, Cathedral Reduced to Rubble". Fox News. 13 January 2010. Retrieved 13 January 2010.
  5. "Exclusive: Papal nuncio gives dramatic report on Church in Haiti". Denver, Colorado: Catholic News Agency. 2010-01-14. Retrieved 2010-01-16.
  6. Wilkinson, Tracy (2010-01-16). "Searching among a Haitian cathedral's ruins". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California: Tribune Company. Retrieved 2010-01-17. Father Charles Benoit, buried under a collapsed four-story building that contained his residence, managed to get a cellular telephone call out to Francois Voleile, a lifelong parishioner, two days ago. He said he was unharmed and had water and juice but no way out.
  7. Robles, Frances (2010-01-17). "Bishops are among the few to get a proper burial". Miami Herald. Miami, Florida. Retrieved 2010-01-17.
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