Church of San Bernardo de El Yadida

El Yadida, Morocco

The Church of San Bernardo is a Catholic temple located in the port city of El Yadida (ancient Mazagan), one of the cities with the largest Portuguese heritage in Morocco. It is part of the Archdiocese of Rabat and is a witness of centuries of Christian presence on the Moroccan Atlantic coast.

History

The Yadida, known historically as Mazagan, was a Portuguese strong square from 1513 to 1769. The Portuguese built an impressive citadel that today is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Christian presence in this area dates back to the first years of Portuguese colonization, when the diocese of Safi was established in 1499, which included Mazagan in its jurisdiction.

After Morocco's independence in 1956 and the exodus of much of the European Catholic population, the church continued to serve the small Christian community that remained in the city. The Archdiocese of Rabat, to which it belongs, was erected as an apostolic vicariate in 1923.

The Yadida and his Christian heritage

The city of El Yadida retains one of the best preserved Portuguese colonial architectures in all of North Africa. The former Portuguese citadel, with its baluarts and cisterns, is a reminder of the centuries of European presence on the Atlantic coast of Morocco. The church of San Bernardo is part of this rich historical heritage.