The Church of Santa Catarina ( pt, Igreja de Santa Catarina) is a church in the
civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authority ...
of
Calheta, municipality of
Calheta, on the Portuguese island of
São Jorge, archipelago of the
Azores
)
, motto =( en, "Rather die free than subjected in peace")
, anthem= ( en, "Anthem of the Azores")
, image_map=Locator_map_of_Azores_in_EU.svg
, map_alt=Location of the Azores within the European Union
, map_caption=Location of the Azores wi ...
.
History
On 3 June 1534, the municipality of Calheta was separated from that of the neighbouring administration of
Velas, and the village of Calheta was elevated to the status of town by King
John III of Portugal
John III ( pt, João III ; 7 June 1502 – 11 June 1557), nicknamed The Pious (Portuguese: ''o Piedoso''), was the King of Portugal and the Algarves from 1521 until his death in 1557. He was the son of King Manuel I and Maria of Aragon, the thi ...
.
Construction began on 8 January 1639 after the original 16th century building was destroyed by fire. The chronicler Friar Agostinho de Monte Alverne wrote of the incident, noting that all was destroyed except the main body and the
sacramental bread
Sacramental bread, also called Communion bread, Eucharistic bread, the Lamb or simply the host ( la, hostia, lit=sacrificial victim), is the bread used in the Christian ritual of the Eucharist. Along with sacramental wine, it is one of two elemen ...
.
[ These commemorative rituals were later provided for in the testaments of Captain-Major Bartolomeu Pereira and his grandson, Father José Soares de Sousa.][
The new church was built away from the sea on the site of a small chapel dedicated to Saint Catherine ( pt, Santa Catarina, links=no) which was destroyed during a volcanic eruption.][ It is believed that the construction of the current Church of Santa Catarina was begun in the 17th century.][ Building lasted for a considerable period and was only completed around 1763 as a result of the ''Mandado de Deus'' earthquake, which hit the island on 9 July 1757.][ The church did not have a baptismal font until 1664 when it was provided by visiting parish priest António Pires de Serpa.][
On 4 October 1945, the church was damaged by an ocean swell (some say tsunami).][ Major damage also occurred on 1 January 1980 as a result of the Azores earthquake which affected many of the islands of the Central Group, destroying much of ]Angra do Heroísmo
Angra do Heroísmo (), or simply Angra, is a city and municipality on Terceira Island, Portugal, and one of the three capital cities of the Azores. Founded in 1478, Angra was historically the most important city in the Azores, as seat of the Roma ...
.[ Plans for remodelling were prepared in the late 1980s and the church was reopened in 1991.][
]
Architecture
The church is located in the centre of the built-up area of the village of Calheta.[ On a platform located to the rear of the church the local community constructed an ''império'', a religious building used in the Festivals of the Holy Spirit.][ The single-nave church is in the form of a cross, with a lateral transept, and has a belltower with a four-faceted clock. Inside, there is an apse in gilded wood with images of Saint Catherine (one from the small 16th century building, the other from the 17th century), and a valuable candelabra.
]
References
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External links
{{Commons category-inline, Church of Santa Catarina (Calheta)
Santa Catarina
Buildings and structures in Calheta, Azores