Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception
Saint Lucia's cathedral on Derek Walcott Square, with 1985 murals by Dunstan St Omer.
The Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception faces Derek Walcott Square in the centre of Castries, bounded by Micoud, Peynier and Laborie Streets. An earlier chapel on the site proved too small, and in 1885 Father Louis Tapon sought funds for a larger church; the foundation stone was laid in 1894 and the building completed in 1897 to designs by the Jesuit architect Ignatius Scoles. About 61 metres long and 30 metres wide, it is generally described as the largest church in the Caribbean.
The exterior is plain, in stone and timber with a squat tower, but the interior is elaborately painted. In 1985, ahead of the visit of Pope John Paul II the following year, the Saint Lucian artist Dunstan St Omer covered the walls and ceiling with murals showing biblical scenes with Black figures, together with images of the island's patron saint above the altar. Iron columns support a timber roof, and carved local woodwork lines the sanctuary. The church was raised to the rank of minor basilica in 1999.
Highlights
- Completed in 1897 to designs by the Jesuit architect Ignatius Scoles
- Murals painted by Dunstan St Omer in 1985 before the 1986 papal visit
- Often described as the largest church in the Caribbean
- Faces Derek Walcott Square in the heart of Castries
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