Has Anyone Seen the Cathedral In Roseau

[flyingpirate]

Hi -

 

Our CC group will be on the Dawn, calling at Dominca on Easter next year.

 

We were thinking of attending services "in town" :D

 

Has anyone seen the Catherdral in the port city of Roseau?

[twomikea]

Our tour guide pointed out a lot Catherdrals - I remember one just north of Roseau and a 300-400 year old one in Soufriere. See links:

 

Roseau's Catholic Church is worthy of a visit and is interesting to explore:

http://www.caribbeanportreviews.com/Dominica.htm

 

This map will show you where it is - 6 blocks east of the cruise ship dock!

http://www.skyviews.com/dominica/maproseau.html

http://www.dominica.dm/roseaumap.htm

http://www.caribline.com/islands/dm/rsmap.shtml

 

Roseau, Dominica: capital and chief town, on the s.w. coast of the island, at the mouth of the Roseau River; rebuilt after almost total destruction by Hurricane David in 1979; chief port; secondary airport; limes, essential oils, tropical vegetables, spices; Roman Catholic Cathedral, St. George's Church (Anglican), Government House, Victoria Memorial Museum; pop. 8,300; 22,000 (urban area)

 

Soufriere Catholic Church

http://donwiss.com/pictures/Dominica-2003/h0015.htm

http://www.biz1.net/~bmiller/dominica99/Digital/soufriere.htm

 

Roman Catholic Church

 

From: http://www.avirtualdominica.com/heritage.cfm?Id=199

 

Since the arrival of Columbus, the Roman Catholic Church has had an important influence on Dominica. The island was named for Sunday, the day on which it was sighted, 'Dies Dominica': The Day of The Lord. Latin hymns of praise starting with 'Salve Regina' were sung off its coast in thanksgiving. But little direct impact of the church was made for the next 150 years until French missionaries of the Dominican Order led by Fr. Raymond Breton began a mission among the Caribs. He said the first Mass at Vieille Case in 1646 and built the first church at Colihaut in 1653. Franciscans and Capuchines came later but had no lasting impact. It was with French colonization that the RC church was firmly established under the Jesuits at Grand Bay and by Fr. Martel at Roseau, who built the first church there in 1730. The RC mission under slavery followed the directives of the French Code Noir, whereby the enslaved were to be instructed in the faith and participate in the Mass and other ceremonies of the church, unlike the early Protestant attitude which forbade participation. On the capture of Dominica by the British, the Crown allowed the RC to continue as before, but Catholics wishing to participate in government and hold official posts had to take certain oaths denying aspects of their faith. This practice was abolished with Catholic Emancipation in 1829. In 1764 ten acres of Roseau had been granted on lease to the RC church and then was given in freehold in 1864, which it still holds. Great expansion of the church occurred after full Emancipation in 1838 particularly from 1850 when Roseau was established as a diocese. Under the first bishops, Monaghan, Vesque and especially Poirier, parishes were established and the first large rural churches constructed. Religious orders from France (FMI) and later Belgium (Redemptorists) came to serve all over Dominica. In 1857 the first nuns arrived to begin a school for girls and an orphanage. During the 20th century church building continued, schools at Pointe Michel and Portsmouth were established, the St. Mary's Academy and later SMP, provided education for boys. Nuns moved into providing health and welfare services. The Credit Union movement initiated by Sister Alicia has become the equivalent of a national banking service. The ordination of local religious effectively began in the mid-century and has produced two Dominican bishops, Bishop Bowers and Archbishop Felix. The effects of Vatican II from the 1960s and the introduction of the Charismatic Movement from the 1970s, the effect of the US-influenced fundamentalists on membership, the need for vocations to support the church and the increased dependence on lay people are some of the features of the church at the beginning of the 21st century.

 

US Gov. report:

Dominica

 

International Religious Freedom Report 2004

Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor

 

The Constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the Government generally respects this right in practice.

 

There was no change in the status of respect for religious freedom during the period covered by this report, and government policy continued to contribute to the generally free practice of religion.

 

The generally amicable relationship among religions in society contributed to religious freedom.

 

 

The U.S. Government discusses religious freedom issues with the Government as part of its overall policy to promote human rights.

 

 

Section I. Religious Demography

 

 

The country has an area of 291 square miles, and its population is approximately 70,000. Christianity is the dominant religion, and the Roman Catholic faith claims about 61 percent of the population. In recent years, many individuals have joined Evangelical churches. According to the 2001 Population and Housing Census, Evangelical churches currently represent 18 percent of the population. Seventh-day Adventists and Methodists represent the next largest denominations, accounting for 6 percent and 3.7 percent of the population respectively.

 

 

Minority religions and denominations, which range in number from 1.6 percent to 0.2 percent of the population, include Rastafarianism, members of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Anglicans, and Muslims. According to the census, 1.4 percent of the population is identified as adhering to "other" religions, including Baptist, Nazarian, Church of Christ, Brethren Christian, and the Baha’i faith. Six percent of the population is identified as having no religion. The Muslim community, which consists mostly of foreign students, is financing construction of a mosque in Portsmouth.

 

 

Section II. Status of Religious Freedom

 

 

Legal/Policy Framework

 

 

The Constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the Government generally respects this right in practice. The Government at all levels strives to protect this right in full and does not tolerate its abuse, either by governmental or private actors.

 

 

The Government is secular and does not interfere with an individual’s right to worship; however, the Government maintains a close relationship with the Christian churches. Christian holy days, such as Good Friday, Whit Monday, and Christmas are national holidays. In addition during the reporting period, the Government declared National Repentance and Dedication Day as a new public holiday to be celebrated annually on April 8. The holiday was proposed by the Dominica Association of Evangelical Churches and accepted by the Government, which recognized "the need for a certain level of spiritual consciousness among Dominicans and of the need to work and pray together for Dominica’s prosperity."

 

 

The public school curriculum includes Christian education, and students are led in prayer during morning assembly. Non-Christian students are not required to participate. There are Catholic, Methodist, and Seventh-day Adventist schools, and the Government subsidizes teachers’ salaries at religiously affiliated schools.

 

 

All religious organizations are required to register with the Government. Organizations must register their buildings through an application to the government registrar, and then must register as non-profit organizations with the Attorney General. Non-profit status is outlined in the Companies Act 21 of 1994. Any organization denied permission to register by the Attorney General has the right to apply for judicial review.

 

 

Restrictions on Religious Freedom

 

 

Government policy and practice contributed to the generally free practice of religion.

 

 

In one instance, a church claimed to have applied for permission in September 2003 to operate and proselytize, but the request had not yet been approved by the Attorney General’s office. Such recognition affects a church’s status as a nonprofit organization, its ability to hold public meetings, as well as the work status of the church’s missionaries. The church has pursued the matter through legal channels; however, there was no conclusion by the end of the reporting period. According to the church’s law firm, the church wrote letters on the matter and met with the Attorney General in April, seeking to rebut unfavorable reports concerning the church that the Attorney General had received from outside sources, including the police.

 

Mike of:

Mike & Leesa From Texas

 

6/11 Carnival Destiny Southern Caribbean Cruise

 

Big Red Boat 1994 - Infiniti 2001 - Rhaspody 2002 - Sea Princess 2002 - Grand Princess 2003 - Carnival Spirit 2003