Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (Bulawayo) explained

Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception
Location:Bulawayo
Country:Zimbabwe
Denomination:Roman Catholic Church
Past Bishop:Archbishop Pius Alick Mvundla Ncube Archbishop Ernst Heinrich Karlen
Archbishop:Archbishop Alex Thomas Kaliyanil

The Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception[1] is the name given to a temple that is affiliated with the Catholic Church and serves as the seat of the Metropolitan Archbishop of Bulawayo in Zimbabwe. In addition, the June 21, 2013 by decree of Pope Francis was elevated to the status of Minor Basilica.[2]

Its history dates back to the activities of the Jesuits, who in the mid-1890s had built a small chapel in Bulawayo between Main Street and 10th Avenue. Its first stone, imported from Croatia, was placed elsewhere by the apostolic prefect Bishop Sykes in 1903, it was opened on April 3, 1904, and later also served as pro-cathedral[3] from 1920 until 1955 when he won the title of Cathedral.[4] Pope John Paul II visited the cathedral in September 1988.

Interior

The interior resembles a typical Gothic church with a nave and two lateral aisles.[5] Its proportions are also Gothic: a long, narrow nave, an extremely high ceiling and the columns which rise up to pointed arches.[6]

See also

Notes and References

  1. http://www.gcatholic.org/churches/africa/2963.htm Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (Bulawayo)
  2. Web site: Vatican promotes Bulawayo's St Mary's Cathedral. Religion in Zimbabwe. https://archive.today/20160406210933/http://relzim.org/news/7933/. dead. 2016-04-06. relzim.org. 2016-04-07.
  3. Book: Schimlek, Francis. Mariannhill: a study in Bantu life and missionary effort. 1953-01-01. Mariannhill Mission Press. en.
  4. Web site: St Mary's Cathedral, Bulawayo: First minor Basilica in SADC region. VictoriaFalls24. en-US. 2016-04-07.
  5. Web site: St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. October 31, 2017. April 14, 2018. YouTube.
  6. Web site: The city of Bulawayo in Zimbabwe, October 2017. Independent Travellers. independent-travellers.com. April 14, 2018.