Our Lady of the Rosary of Saint António
In the heart of Saint António, the capital of the island of Prince, the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary, one of the two Catholic temples of the small colonial city. In front of the sea, with its white and blue facade, it is stage every 15 August of the Autos de Floripes, theatrical representation that evokes the battle between Christians and Moors and is one of the oldest and most entrenched celebrations of the archipelago of Sao Tome and Principe.
🌹 Wonders and anecdotes
- The Church of the Rosary of Saint António is one of the two temples that vertebrate the spiritual life of the island of Prince, next to the parish church of Nossa Senhora da Conceição; both are witnesses of more than five centuries of Portuguese Catholic presence in the Gulf of Guinea.
- Each year, on 15 August, its surroundings are home to the Autos de Floripes, a dramatic representation of the Lusian tradition in which the disguised locals stage the Christian victory over the Moors: a popular liturgy that keeps alive the memory of the faith and cultural identity of the people of Prince.
- The temple was the subject of a documented restoration in 1940, which renewed its exterior image; over the centuries it has changed its coloration several times, being currently recognizable for its sober combination of white and blue in front of the bay.
- The diocese of São Tomé e Príncipe, built on 3 November 1534, is one of the oldest in sub-Saharan Africa: the first priests arrived on the island of São Tomé in 1493, and the Augustines were established in 1499, soon taking the faith to Prince.
- The mass is held daily at 18: 00 and on Sundays at 6: 00 and 9: 00, a faithful reflection of a parish community in which 80% of the population of the archipelago declares itself Catholic.
Our Lady of the Rosary
The Church of Our Lady of the Rosary of Saint António presides over the center of the capital of Prince with its Portuguese colonial architecture, adapted to the tropical environment. Restored in 1940 and recognized for its white and blue exterior facing the sea, it is the festive and spiritual heart of the island, the seat of the traditional Autos de Floripes celebrated every August 15.
"Our Lady of the Rosary, Queen of Prince, and the protection of this people of the Gulf of Guinea, intercede by those who call upon you from the shore of the sea, and bring their hearts to the peace of your Son.
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