Rehabilitation of Quelimane cathedral

  

The rehabilitation of this building, part of the historical heritage of Mozambique, is an initiative of the Bons Sinais Association, with the support of the embassies of Norway and the United States. The historic cathedral was built between 1776 and 1886 and was open until 1975, the year in which our country achieved national independence. Information accessed by O País suggest that the age of the church and its small capacity may have weighed in the moving of services to another cathedral in 1976.

Left in a state of neglect, as well as being vandalised and having much of its contents stolen, including the bells and some marble, the cathedral had entered an advanced stage of degradation. Much later, in the 2000s, priests assigned to the new cathedral facilities sought, along with the faithful and people of good will, to raise funds to stabilise the structure, which was gradually falling apart.It was in this scenario that the Associação dos Bons Sinais , composed of “children of the land”, some living outside the country and others in Maputo, the capital of the country, and still others in Quelimane, decided to seek funding to prevent the cathedral from collapsing, erasing the history of past centuries.

Through the embassies of Norway and the United States, nearly US$300,000 was raised, allowing work to proceed.“The initial plan was to try to reuse a large part of the wood that supported the ceiling, but with the progress of works, especially when we were dismantling the structure, we found that much of the wood was already damaged,” Director of Works Edson Barros says. It was although possible to reuse some of the original wood as roof beams, assuring the historical fidelity of the reconstruction. Barros says the cathedral will be reopened in 2022, coinciding with Quelimane’s 80th birthday. “We want to stop the deterioration of the building and ensure that the completion of these works is a birthday present for the city and those who live here.”