St. Paul's Cathedral, Valparaíso facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cathedral of St. Paul |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| 33°02′32″S 71°37′38″W / 33.04234°S 71.62723°W | |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Churchmanship | Anglican Church of Chile |
| History | |
| Founded | 1837 |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Monumento Nacional (Supreme Decree #1876, July 19, 1979) |
| Architect(s) | William Lloyd |
| Architectural type | Gothic Revival |
| Years built | 1857–1858 |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Valparaíso |
St. Paul's Cathedral (also known as Catedral de San Pablo in Spanish) is an old and important Anglican church. It is located in Valparaíso, Chile, on a hill called Cerro Concepción. This area is known for its history with British people. Since 1979, St. Paul's has been a special place called a National Monument of Chile. In 2016, it became a cathedral.
Contents
History of St. Paul's Cathedral
St. Paul's started in 1837 as a church in a house. It served the British people who lived in Valparaíso. Traveling Anglican priests led the church services. At that time, Chilean law only allowed Catholicism. Other religions faced restrictions until 1865.
But by 1857, the British community in Valparaíso was growing. They had more influence and money. So, Anglicans were allowed to build a church in Cerro Concepción. The British Consul, William Rouse, helped raise money for the new church.
However, because of rules about religious freedom, the church building could not look too much like a church. It was not allowed to have a tall steeple or a tower. Also, its doors could not be bigger than the doors of local Catholic churches. Because of this, people had to enter through a side door.
The church was designed by an English architect and engineer named William Henry Lloyd. He was in Chile to build the railway line between Santiago and Valparaíso. After a big earthquake in Valparaíso in 1906, Carlos Federico Claussen helped fix the church.
On March 19, 2016, the Anglican Diocese of Chile officially made the church a cathedral. This made it the first Anglican cathedral in Chile. On June 5, 2022, St. Paul's held a special service. It celebrated Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee. The Anglican bishop of Valparaíso, Samuel Morrison, led the service. The British ambassador to Chile, Louise de Souza, also attended.
National Monument Status
Since July 19, 1979, St. Paul's has been recognized as a historic monument. This was done by the Council of National Monuments of Chile. It is also part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site for Valparaíso's historic area.
Architecture and Design
The outside of the cathedral looks simple. It does not have a tower or a main entrance that stands out. A three-sided room for baptisms sticks out from the church's east side.
The inside of the building looks as it has since 1883. It has one long main room called a nave. Light comes in through tall, narrow windows called lancet windows. The roof is held up by wooden beams that you can see. A wooden screen, called a rood screen, separates the main room from the choir area. In 1903, a special pipe organ was bought for the church. It was bought to remember Queen Victoria. The beautiful stained glass windows in St. Paul's came from the United Kingdom. There are also two plaques inside. They remember people from Valparaíso of British origin who died in World War I.
Music at St. Paul's
Since 1995, St. Paul's has held weekly organ concerts. These concerts happen on Sunday afternoons. They help raise money to fix up the church. The concert series is called “Música en las alturas” (Music in the Heights). It is the only regular series of organ performances in Chile.
See also
In Spanish: Catedral anglicana de San Pablo (Valparaíso) para niños
