Presbyterian Cathedral of Rio of Janeiro

The Presbyterian Cathedral in Rio

The Presbyterian Cathedral of Rio of Janeiro (Portuguese: Catedral Presbiteriana do Rio de Janeiro) is a historic congregation of the Presbyterian Church of Brazil. It was the first Presbyterian church in the country.

History

Ashbel Green Simonton established the church on January 12, 1862. It used various sites until it acquired its current site in December 1870.^[1] On March 29, 1874 the building was opened as the first church building of the Presbyterians in Brazil. During 1897–1925 Rev. Álvaro Reis was the pastor. His influence and service was recognized through the name of a middle school and a square in Rio. On August 1926 Rev. Matthias Gomes de Santos remade the project of constructing a new building. He invited the architect Ascanio Viana who redesigned the building in a Neo-Gothic style. This work lasted about 14 years.^[2] It was several times renovated, the last was in 2002. The church celebrated its 150th anniversary on Thursday, January 12, 2012.^[3]

Pastors

• Ashbel Green Simonton: 1862–67
• Alexander Latimer Bradford: 1867–1974
• Alvaro Reis: 1897–1925
• Matthias Gomes dos Santos: 1926–47
• Amantino Adorno Vassao: 1947–81^[4]
• Guilhermino Cunha: 1981–2015^[5]
• Jorge Patrocínio: 2015–present^[6]

References

1. "Presbyterian Cathedral of Rio completes 150 years of existence". Retrieved 4 January 2014.
2. "1859-2009 150 YEARS OF ARRIVAL IN BRAZIL THE REV. Ashbel GREEN SIMONTON". Retrieved 4 January 2014.
3. "Presbyterian Cathedral in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Celebrates its 150th Anniversary". Retrieved 4 January 2014.
4. "Unforgettable Characters". Retrieved 4 January 2014.
5. "Sesquicentennial of the Presbyterian Church". Retrieved 4 January 2014.
6. "Rev. Jorge Luiz Patrocínio". Retrieved 17 November 2015.

External links

• Website of the Presbyterian Catedral
• Facebook site

Coordinates: 22°54′28″S 43°10′52″W / 22.9079°S 43.1812°W