Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral Basilica ( es, Catedral Basílica del Dulce Nombre de María) is a

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

cathedral in

Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...

. It is the seat of the

archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...

of the

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Agaña The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Agaña (Latin: ''Archidiœcesis Aganiensis'', Spanish: ''Arquidiócesis de Agaña'') is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in the United States. It comprises the United States dependen ...

. It is located on the site where the island's first Catholic church was constructed in 1669, under the guidance of Padre San Vitores. The present building looms above the palm trees and is a familiar landmark in downtown Hagåtña. The basilica enshrines the image of Santa Marian Kamalen, Patroness of Guam.

History

The precursor of the present day basilica was a chapel, or , constructed of rough logs and nipa thatch built within the perimeter of the Plaza de España. The church was the focal site around which the administrative buildings were built. Built under the direction of Padre Diego Luís de San Vitores, with the assistance of the

Chamorros The Chamorro people (; also CHamoru) are the indigenous people of the Mariana Islands, politically divided between the United States territory of Guam and the encompassing Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Micronesia. Today, signifi ...

of Hagåtña, it was dedicated on February 2, 1669.Carano, P., Sanchez, P. C. (1964). ''A Complete History of Guam''. Tokyo: Charles E. Tuttle Co. p. 68. Queen Maria Ana donated 300 pesos and Chief Quipuha of Hagåtña contributed the land. In 1670 a more permanent structure was erected. Built of coral stones with the technique of mamposteria, this structural foundation expanded to become the cathedral. Within this structure were walls, ceilings and floors constructed of ifil wood. A fresco on the rear wall depicted the

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary The Assumption of Mary is one of the four Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church. Pope Pius XII defined it in 1950 in his apostolic constitution ''Munificentissimus Deus'' as follows: We proclaim and define it to be a dogma revealed by Go ...

. The original cathedral was destroyed by bombardment during the 1944

Second Battle of Guam The Battle of Guam (21 July–10 August 1944) was the American recapture of the Japanese-held island of Guam, a U.S. territory in the Mariana Islands captured by the Japanese from the United States in the First Battle of Guam in 1941 during t ...

. According to historian Benigno Palomo, in 1669, one of the main missions of the Spanish soldiers and missionaries was to exalt "the Catholic faith" and that "the people living in islands and land of this sort, you will and ought to bring to the Christian religion", from the Bill of Partition issued by

Pope Alexander VI Pope Alexander VI ( it, Alessandro VI, va, Alexandre VI, es, Alejandro VI; born Rodrigo de Borja; ca-valencia, Roderic Llançol i de Borja ; es, Rodrigo Lanzol y de Borja, lang ; 1431 – 18 August 1503) was head of the Catholic Churc ...

. Other churches were built at Funa near Umatac, at Tepungan by Asan, at Ritidian, at Tarrague, at Dededo and at Orote. Initially, many of these churches were destroyed by the Chamorros in their effort to regain their independence. Others were destroyed by natural causes. Over the years, the Chamorros gradually accepted the faith of the Spanish as their own. Before the war, there were nine churches and 22 chapels throughout Guam. These chapels were little sanctuaries between villages where one could privately pray during the long journey to and from home. All were destroyed during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

except San Dionisio at Umatac, San Jose at Inarajan and San Francisco at Yona. The cathedral-basilica's existing structure has reached its golden age of 50 years after being constructed and dedicated on . The cathedral-basilica serves as local landmark and is home to a community of parishioners who regularly attend Sunday Masses, sacred liturgies and annual events. It is also a place where Guam's visitors embrace the island's rich Catholic history and identity. The National Museum of the Dulce Nombre de Maria is located above the Chapel of St. Therese of Lisieux. The museum features changing displays of inspirational art created by local artists.

References

External links

* {{Portal bar, United States, Spain, Catholicism Buildings and structures in Hagåtña, Guam Roman Catholic cathedrals in Guam Basilica churches in Oceania Roman Catholic churches completed in 1959 20th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in the United States Museums in Guam Art museums and galleries in Guam Religious museums in the United States 1959 establishments in Guam Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Agaña