Historic Day for St. John’s Cathedral

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Tuesday, 09 October 2012 02:30

By press release

Antigua St. John's - At 6am on Tuesday Morning worshippers from all over the island and from all denominations are expected to gather at the St. Johns Cathedral for a very special service.

The date, October 9, is an historic day in the history of the Cathedral of the St. Johns, marking as it does the date in 1843 when the Governor of Antigua laid the cornerstone for the elegant structure.

This date in 2012 is also significant in the history of the Cathedral, since it marks the first time since restoration work began that a worship service will be held in the 169-year-old church.

Valerie Gonsalves-Barreiro provides more detail in this brief historical vignette.

On October 9th 1843, the Governor of Antigua Sir Charles Augustus Fitz Roy laid the cornerstone to symbolically begin construction of the 2nd Cathedral. The Cathedral was built of wood and stone in an effort to protect it from earthquakes, termites, fire and hurricanes.

The first St. John’s Cathedral had been damaged beyond repair by the February 1843 earthquake which damaged most of the stone or brick buildings on the island

Three (3) years and one (1) day later, on October 10th 1846, the first Service was held in the Cathedral although not completed or consecrated.  Tents were used -- and the schoolroom, which was mainly used by the Black People.  

Our first Bishop Daniel Gateworth Davis (known as the Nigga lover) was involved with the abolition work in the UK.  He was originally from St. Kitts and was sent back to the Caribbean.

He held the position of Archdeacon for five (5) years before the decision to separate the Diocese from Barbados, making Antigua a part of the Northeastern Caribbean and Aruba.

By him becoming Bishop the church automatically became a Cathedral and the town a city, giving birth to the city of St. John’s elevating from “Town” to “City.”

TODAY OCTOBER 9TH 2012

We observe this date (169 years ago).  The entire congregation and friends of the Cathedral are encouraged to come to worship at 6 am.

The service not only marks the important day in history, but it is our opportunity to thank God for the completion of the roof and to ask his blessings as we recommence our reconstruction work.

This week we begin the process of replacing the floor. We invite you to come out in your numbers to show our commitment to seeing this project through to completion so that the work of God can resume in our beloved Cathedral sooner rather than later.

God answers prayer. Come out so that together, as one, we can pray for the restoration of our beloved St. John’s Cathedral.

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