Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption (

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

: ''Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption de Matâ'Utu''), also known as Matâ'Utu Cathedral, is a

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

cathedral A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...

, and a national monument of

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, located in the town of

Mata Utu Mata Utu (; , ) is the capital (political), capital city of Wallis and Futuna, an overseas collectivity of France. It is located on the island of Wallis Island, Uvéa (Uvea), in the district of Hahake District, Hahake, of which it is also the cap ...

Uvea The uvea (; derived from meaning "grape"), also called the uveal layer, uveal coat, uveal tract, vascular tunic or vascular layer, is the pigmented middle layer of the three concentric layers that make up an eye, precisely between the inne ...

, in

Wallis and Futuna Wallis and Futuna, officially the Territory of the Wallis and Futuna Islands (), is a French island territorial collectivity, collectivity in the Oceania, South Pacific, situated between Tuvalu to the northwest, Fiji to the southwest, Tonga t ...

. It is a dominant edifice in downtown Mata-Utu town, capital of Wallis Island. It bears the royal insignia of Wallis, a

Maltese cross The Maltese cross is a cross symbol, consisting of four " V" or arrowhead shaped concave quadrilaterals converging at a central vertex at right angles, two tips pointing outward symmetrically. It is a heraldic cross variant which develope ...

between its towers. The cathedral is also known as the "Our Lady of Good Hope Cathedral". It is the seat of Bishop Susitino Sionepoe.

Geography

The cathedral overlooks the Wallis lagoon from Mata-Utu, which is the largest town and capital of

Wallis Island Wallis () is a Polynesian atoll/island in the Pacific Ocean belonging to the French overseas collectivity (''collectivité d'outre-mer'', or ''COM'') of Wallis and Futuna. It lies north of Tonga, northeast of Fiji, east-northeast of the Hoorn ...

and the territory as a whole. The Palace of the King of Uvéa, which features two-storey verandas, adjoins the cathedral. On the opposite side of the wharf is a platform known as Fale Fono which was used by Chief of the local tribes to address people. Several restaurants, markets, hotels and the post office are near the cathedral.

Features

The massive stone cathedral was built by the

Marists The Society of Mary (), better known as the Marists, is a Catholic religious congregation of pontifical right. Founded in Cerdon, France, by Jean-Claude Colin, the Society of Mary was recognized by an apostolic brief on April 29, 1836, and is ...

, a French Roman Catholic religious order. The imposing cathedral is built with blue volcanic stones, chiseled and trimmed by hand. It has two prominent towers, rectangular in shape, dominating the landscape near the

wharf A wharf ( or wharfs), quay ( , also ), staith, or staithe is a structure on the shore of a harbour or on the bank of a river or canal where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers. Such a structure includes one or more Berth (mo ...

. Between the two towers, a blue

has been affixed, which also appears on the flag of Wallis. The massive cathedral structure represents a distinctive "bulwark of Gaulish Catholicism". In 1951, construction of a coral block cathedral began.

References

External links

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Location of the cathedral
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mata-Utu Cathedral Churches in Wallis and Futuna Roman Catholic cathedrals in Oceania Roman Catholic cathedrals in Overseas France Monuments historiques of France Catholic Church in Wallis and Futuna Buildings and structures in Wallis and Futuna Tourist attractions in Wallis and Futuna Mata-Utu 1951 establishments in France