HISTORY OF THE CATHEDRAL AND SACRED HEART CHURCH  

The first church in Port of Spain was a wooden structure built in 1781 on a site which today is known as Tamarind Square. This church had a capacity for seating 500 persons.

At the turn of the century it was becoming evident that this building was too small and a decision was taken to replace it by a more permanent and larger structure. On 24th. March,1816 the foundation stone of the present Cathedral was laid.  

The Cathedral

The building was finally completed through the blood sweat and sacrifices of the catholic community in 1836. On Sunday 23rd. February 1851 it was consecrated by the first Archbishop of Port of Spain, The Most Reverend Patrick Smith.

Like the original church of Port of Spain, the Cathedral is dedicated to the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Cathedral, designed by architect, Philip Reinagle, was built in the shape of the Latin Cross. The northern and southern transepts were designed as chapels of Our Blessed Lady and St. Joseph respectively.

The walls were made of limestone quarried from the nearby Laventille Hills. The Towers were originally of Limestone but were damaged by the earthquake tremors of 1825 and they were replaced by wood. They originally contained twelve (12) bells. The clock added in 1879 had three (3) dials (one on each of the towers and the main dial which is still in its original place).

In 1845, the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception was the first church in Trinidad to have a pipe organ. The original was replaced in 1913 by another pipe organ made by the renowned firm of Walker and Sons of London.

As The Cathedral, it is the principal church of the diocese. The cathedra (or chair) of the Bishop is placed there. In the 1850’s Pope Pius IX decreed that the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception was to be the status of a Minor Basilica, giving it special spiritual privileges.

However, the Cathedral is more than just the story of a building. It is the experience of many types of people coming together to worship. So today you can see people of every different background coming to worship and pray at the Cathedral. There are many also who come into this church just for a few moments of peace and quiet, seeking sanctuary and refuge from the hustle and bustle of city life.

The Cathedral has seen many different renovations in the last one hundred and sixty three years and no builder or administrator has seen it fit to take away the presence of this piece of furniture. Some priests have used this pulpit in recent times but with the advent of technology and the presence of a Public Address system as part of the furniture in the church it has been necessary to make use of the Pulpit.

Some people interpret the pulpit in a negative way, as if the priest wants to speak down to the people, but this is far from the noble intention of its designers and builders. It is constructed in such a way to ensure that the human voice is properly transmitted to as many people as possible.

It must be mentioned that when it was built the back section of the church was not meant for members of the congregation since it contained the choir stalls for the Cathedral Clergy and the Sacristy rooms for the ministers and the various assistants who participated in the liturgies of the Church. A significant characteristic of the pulpit is the four engravings around the outer wall which are the four symbols of the four Evangelists.

The Cathedral Church needs the financial support of all its well wishers and friends. However, we also need the active support of a Faith Community who worship with us regularly.

The foundation stone of the Sacred Heart Church, situated at the corner of Sackville Street and Richmond Street, was laid on May 6th, 1880 by Archbishop Louis Joachim Gonin, O P.

Two years after, on December 3rd 1882 the Archbishop solemnly blessed the church of the Sacred Heart which was built in the English Gothic design. The building of this church dedicated to Sacred Heart was the achievement of an English Dominican priest called Fr. Thomas Greenough.

Sacred Heart Church

As the vigilant guardian of a school chapel which was built about the year 1874 he planned to replace it one day with a solid church structure. One of the motivating factors was his desire to provide a venue where the faith would be taught and preached in the English language. After collecting several thousand dollars he was authorised to begin construction

On June 6th. 1950, when the debt was completely paid, This church of the Sacred Heart was consecrated by Archbishop Finbar Ryan. The nine exquisite Fremish stained-glass windows were given to Fr. Greenough as gifts by various persons of devout faith.

These windows, along with the Stations of the Cross are the most beautiful ornaments of the church. It is said to be the best of their kind in Trinidad. One of the stained-glass windows of the church depicted St. Thomas Aquinas OP, was erected to Fr. Greenough’s memory by his grateful parishioners.

Close to the main entrance of the church, the belfry which houses three (3) bells was also built by Fr. Greenough. From all evidence, these bells were imported from France and placed in the belfry tower in the year 1896. Each bell is a different size and has its own name.

The Sacred Heart Church is the oldest centre of devotion to the Sacred Heart in our archdiocese. Other churches built to honour the Sacred Heart since this time are located in La Brea, South Trinidad and in Delaford, Tobago. Each year a special week of devotion (immediately after the solemnity of Corpus Christi) is organised to prepare for the feast of the Sacred Heart.

During this time the church is packed with devotees. It is a time of renewal for everyone but the workers benefit in a special way as the staff members from the various offices are invited to assist with the liturgy during this time. This sense of great devotion and worship is also evident on the first Friday of every month and during the Ash Wednesday and Lenten Retreats.

Midday Mass at the Sacred Heart is a constant and regular source of spiritual renewal as many workers in the area sacrifice their short lunch-break to worship God and to find spiritual strength and nourishment from the celebration of the Word and the Eucharist.

Besides the midday masses celebrated each working day of the year, the other main service is celebrated on the Lord’s Day, Sundays. The Sunday masses at 11:00 am. Are especially convenient to the many persons within and beyond the parish boundaries of the city. It provides an alternate time for people who have to rise early every day for work and school. On the Day of the Lord they can take their time and come to a service during which they worship God in a variety of ways.

The Church of the Sacred Heart has a Grotto dedicated to Our Lady. This may seem strange but there is a very close link between the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the life of Our Blessed Lady.

This Grotto is so positioned to give passersby a reminder that the life and mission of Mary is to show all people the way to Jesus, whose open heart is awaiting us as we enter His Church. The Grotto is also a reminder that (like Mary) it is our mission to show our fellow workers, the way to Jesus. Many promises and attempts have been made in recent times to restore some beauty to the Grotto.

Inside the church, we also have another major image of Our Lady resting just below the "choir loft". Why must Mary be placed below the loft ? "My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my saviour" The Choir which sings from above is called to glorify the Lord and to allow the members of the congregation to rejoice in God their saviour.

On the right hand, inside the front entrance, we have a small "shrine of the saints". The image of the Sacred Heart takes pride of place, since Jesus is the source of all holiness, and the lives of all who are holy point to the Love of God…..the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Many Thanks to Vicar General Rev Christian Periera for the above information which was gleaned from a previous Basilica Minor website maintained by his good self.