Just near the Municipal Council Building there is the Holy Cathedral which, through its architectural beauty is another “must stop for anyone in the down town area. Due to the rapid growth of the City in the early part of the 20th century it was decided that the small churches in existence were not serving the expanding congregations and influx of European Christians.
The idea of building a Cathedral which could suit everyone was born in the early 1930’s. It was Sebastião José Alves, the then Governor of Mozambique who launched the idea. However, it was in era of D. Rafael Maria de Assunção (1920-1936), Colonel José Ricardo Pereira Cabral (General Governor of Mozambique) donated for the population of Mozambique, on 15th August 1931, the plot where the Cathedral of Maputo is now situated.
The building design was a self-initiative of the Engineer Marcial de Freitas e Costa who also directed its construction. The launching of the first brick took place on the 28th June 1936, in the last public act of D. Rafael Maria de Assunção who was, at the time, the Apostolic Administrator of the Prelazy of Mozambique.
The decoration of the Cathedral was enriched by various Portuguese artists’ Then the building was completed and opened on the 15th August 1944 by Cardinal Cerejeira.
Amongst the numerous Christian Chapels existing in the City of Maputo the “ Cathedral” stands out not only because of its beauty and architecture importance but also because of its spectacular white colour in the form of a cross.
Now this was the saddest thing of all. Even in a church - break inns and theft can't be controlled anymore.
The cathedral had placed a money box on one of the inside walls, where people could donate towards bread for the poor.
Above shows the box wrenched open to get to the money!
What is the world coming to?
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