Catedral de San Luis de Saint-Louis del Senegal
On the river island of Saint- Louis, the former colonial capital of Senegal, the Cathedral of St. Louis, consecrated on 4 November 1828 and considered the oldest church in West Africa, rises. It is the seat of the diocese of Saint- Louis of Senegal and is part of the urban ensemble registered by UNESCO on World Heritage.
🌹 Wonders and anecdotes
- His first stone was placed on February 11, 1827 by Baron Roger, administrator of the colony, and blessed by Abbé Girardon, apostolic prefect; the temple was opened to veneration in 1828 and was consecrated on November 4 of that same year.
- Its construction is linked to the arrival in 1822 of Blessed Anne- Marie Javouhey, founder of the Sisters of San José de Cluny, whose presence boosted the Christian life of the city.
- It is recognized as the oldest church in West Africa, with neoclassical façade of two square towers and three ships with cruise, raised in brick by the mouth of the Senegal River.
- Closed since 2005 because of its deterioration, it was restored from 2018 and returned to veneration on October 9, 2020, when the keys to the renovated temple were delivered to Monsignor Ernest Sambou, Bishop of Saint-Louis; the entire island has been UNESCO World Heritage since 2000.
Saint Louis, King of France
The Cathedral of St. Louis, mother of the churches of West Africa, keeps almost two centuries of Christian faith on the banks of the Senegal River. Consecrated in 1828 and restored in our day, it remains a sign of the serene coexistence of the small Senegalese Catholic community.
In the case of the people of Senegal, St. Louis, the king and servant of the poor, reaches the peace of Christ.
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