The image above shows the Cathedral of Immaculate
Conception which is a Roman Catholic Church located in Independence Square Port
of Spain and was the first Catholic Church in the city. On March 25th
1816, the foundation stone was laid by the country’s first civilian Governor
Sir Ralph Woodford and the building was then completed in 1836. The Cathedral
was built in the shape of a cross and the walls made of limestone from
Laventille Hills. Beneath the Cathedral is the crypt that houses the remains of
more than 15 high ranking Catholic Church officials including archbishops.
The Cathedral runs educational development
programmes for school children, daily religious services, bible study and
marriage preparation classes. (Taylor 2011) . The Cathedral is
newly renovated after being closed for the last three and a half years. It was
closed in 2012 after it was a decided that it was no longer safe for worship
and occupation due to severe water damage. The Cathedral reopened April 2016
for Easter celebrations
Churches have a role to play in the city (Lorne 2012) states that churches
often occupy a geographically central location in cities and they inherit many
of the social issues of the urban core. This explains why these churches focus
on helping the homeless and offering developmental programs like the Cathedral
of the Immaculate Conception. Churches also
add an aesthetic aspect to the city because of their outstanding and remarkable
appearance. They have history that most times date back to before the city
became developed.
The picture above shows the Cathedral during the
1800’s where there is a clear demarcation in the economic activity around it. Independence
Square today has a greater level of economic activity and is definitely more
intense than the 19th century. Sjoberg’s theory explained that
churches and other sacred institutions dominate most of the cultural landscape
as well as the cultural beliefs of the urban place.
References:
Lorne, Daniel. Rethink
Urban. September 12, 2012.
http://rethinkurban.com/2012/places-and-spaces/a-second-look-at-the-churches-in-the-city/
(accessed April 8, 2016).
Taylor, Caroline. Caribbean
Beat . 2011.
http://caribbean-beat.com/issue-112/saving-soul-city#axzz45G94qAdZ (accessed
2016).
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