- Address: Koinange St, Nairobi, Kenya
- Phone: + 254-712-311-394
- Official website: http://holyfamilybasilica.info
- E-mail: info@holyfamilybasilica.info
- Status: Small basilica
- Denomination: Catholicism
Kenya is a former colony of Great Britain, therefore the majority of the population professes Christianity here. In the early twentieth century, the construction of a Roman Catholic church in the style of modernism began in the capital of the country . The construction of the Cathedral of the Holy Family in Nairobi (Cathedral Basilica of the Holy Family) ended in 1906. The service here is performed according to the Latin rite.
The history of the creation of the Sagrada Familia in Nairobi
To meet the religious needs of the population, on the instructions of the brother of Jehoshaphat, the construction of the church was carried out by the parishioners who erected a nearby railway. It was the first stone building of the city, the height of which was a little less than thirty meters and could accommodate 300-400 people. In 1906, the first baptism was recorded, and in 1908 the marriage was registered in the cathedral.
Visiting the temple by the Pope
In 1980, on May 6, the church was honored by the presence of Pope John Paul II. On 15 February 1982 he conferred the status of the small basilica of Africa on the Sagrada Familia in Nairobi . This status has the only temple in all of Kenya .
In 1985 and 1995, Ion Paul II visited the temple again, in which he held a service and prayer.
Restoration of the Sagrada Familia in Nairobi
In 1960, under the leadership of the Kenyan architect Dorothy Hughes, a restoration project for the Sagrada Familia was established in Nairobi. Help in repairing provided the British company Mowlem. First of all, the capacity of the temple was increased to three or four thousand, which is ten times more than the original figure. In the construction were used frames made of stainless steel, abstract stained-glass windows, details from Carrara marble. The new building rises to 98 meters. Inside, besides the main two halls, there are eight different chapels. Here is located the main altar with the great crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
In 2011, the Chinese construction company, Zhongxing, erected a new administrative building. In the capital of Kenya, there are about four million people, of whom one and a half million profess Catholicism.
How to get to the Sagrada Familia of Nairobi?
The Sagrada Familia of Nairobi can be reached on foot from the city center or by public transport . You will need to leave at the intersection of Coinning Street and Kenyat Avenue.
The temple is located near the main square of the city. Its bell towers and a roof can be seen right after the monument of Jom Kenyata. Service in a small basil usually takes place on Sundays and public holidays, but for visitors the doors of the temple are always open. There is also a school and a book store on the territory.
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