Basilica of Mary Queen of the Apostles
The Basilica of Mary Queen of Apostles ( English Mary Queen of the Apostles Basilica , French Basilique Marie-Reine-des-apôtres ) or Basilica of Mvolyé (Basilique de Mvolyé) is a Roman Catholic church in Yaounde , capital of Cameroon . The church belonging to the Archdiocese of Yaoundé is located on the southern edge of the city on the Mvolyé hill. It is under the patronage of Mary and has the title of a minor basilica .
history
On July 20, 1890, an Apostolic Prefecture was founded in the German colony of Cameroon , and the Catholic missionaries of the Pallottine Order, headed by Father Heinrich Vieter , reached the country as early as October . On February 13, 1901, the missionaries who had come from Germany entered the Mfoundi hill for the first time. After arriving in Yaounde, they began the work of evangelization there with the construction of many church buildings. They also received the property on Mvolyé Hill from Charles Atangana , whereupon Father Vieter decided to found the first Catholic mission in Yaoundé. On January 22, 1905, the Mvolyé Mission became the seat of the new Apostolic Vicariate for Cameroon and Monsignor Vieter was ordained titular bishop.
Between 1923 and 1927, Mvolyé Cathedral was built with the patronage of the Holy Spirit under the direction of the Spiritans . After it threatened to fall to rubble , the construction of a Marian shrine began in 1990 with the laying of the foundation stone on August 15, 1990 on the instructions of Jean Zoa , Archbishop of Yaounde. The consecration of the new Church of Mary Queen of the Apostles took place on December 10, 2006 in the presence of Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran , in which the church was bequeathed by Pope Benedict XVI. on March 2, 2006 was elevated to the first minor basilica in Central Africa .
inner space
Building on 12 columns symbolizing the 12 apostles, the basilica is 32 meters high and 75 meters wide. It offers space for around 4000 seats. The construction consists of a subtle mixture of stone, metal and wood, the local woods bubinga and moabi were used. The establishment was carried out in collaboration with the skills of the various ethnic groups in Cameroon. The glass paintings by Henri Guerin in pastel and light colors form a fresco of 100 m². The furnishings include the sacrament table, which was created in collaboration with the Center Nina in Mbalmayo. The Black Madonna with a height of 3.50 meters is made of the wood of the sacred tree of Nkong Ondoa, the altar is made of granite from Akok Bekoe. The figure of Christ and the tabernacle are made of bronze using the Bamun technique .
Patronage
Queen of the Apostles is one of the honorary titles of Mary and was also elected the patron saint of the Pallotine Superior Society, Association of the Catholic Apostolate .
Pope visit
On his first trip abroad in 2009 , Pope Benedict XVI visited for four days Yaoundé. On March 18, 2009, he celebrated Vespers in the basilica with bishops, priests, religious, deacons, representatives of church movements and other Christian denominations of Cameroon.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ A b Basilique Marie-Reine-des-Apôtres on gcatholic.org
- ↑ Address by Pope Benedict XVI. for Vespers
Coordinates: 3 ° 50 ′ 31.7 " N , 11 ° 30 ′ 27.6" E