Imaculada Conceição de Balide

The church of Balide

The Igreja da Imaculada Conceição de Balide ( German Church of the Conception of the Virgin Mary of Balide ) is a Roman Catholic church in Balide , a district of the East Timorese capital Dili . It is located in the south of the Suco Santa Cruz (administrative office Nain Feto ) and belongs to the Archdiocese of Dili .

Overview

The statue of the Virgin Mary in front of the church (2003), still without roofing and painting.

The church was built in 1939. It is part of a larger complex that also includes a parish hall, several schools, the Colégio de São José and the Seminário Maior de Balide. After the unrest in East Timor in 2006 , the site served as a refugee camp for over 300 families.

Unlike most other churches in the country, Balide Church has a transept that creates a T-shaped floor plan. The sides are also equipped with benches.

The parish was founded on September 5, 1945. It includes the Sucos Santa Cruz, Mascarenhas , Bemori , Lahane Oriental and Lahane Ocidental with a total of over 38,000 inhabitants, almost all of whom are Catholic.

On December 2, 2005, the national scout association, the União Nacional dos Escuteiros de Timor-Leste , was founded in the church .