Nain Feto Rosario (Lalaia)

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Laleia Church (2015)

Nain Feto Rosário ( German  Our Lady of the Rosary ) is the Catholic Church in the East Timorese town of Laleia . It is located in the northern part of the settlement in Suco Lifau ( Laleia administrative office , Manatuto municipality ), west of the Laleia River . The parish is run by Capuchins .

Construction and equipment

The interior of the church

The church is in a Portuguese style with a Gothic influence. Doors and windows are still in their original condition. The two bell towers to the left and right of the church portal are striking. During the renovation in 2010, the pink paint on the church was renewed, which by then had been almost completely faded. The roofs of the church towers and the nave are red.

The church is also colorful inside. The walls are turquoise, the ceiling green with yellow stripes and the sanctuary orange. In addition to a statue of the patron saint, there are images of Saint Anthony , Saint Teresa , the Heart of Jesus and one of Christ crucified, which is said to be 300 to 400 years old.

history

Laleia Church (1970)
Laleia Church (2003)

A Catholic church already existed in Laleia in 1752. The construction of the current building began in 1920 on behalf of Pastor Diogo Caetano de Almeida . The inauguration took place on November 19, 1933. At the beginning of the Japanese occupation of Timor (1942–1945), the two bell towers had to be shortened. The Japanese commander had ordered the demolition of the church after a brief visit back Laleia. With the support of the Japanese Lieutenant Ono , commander for the Manatuto district , and Sergeant Tanabe , agent of the secret service, the Japanese commander could be dissuaded from his plan. However, he insisted on the towers being demolished. The church building was used by the Japanese army as a field kitchen and horse stable.

In 1976 the Indonesian occupation army stored war material in the church. In the church square, guns were set up in the direction of the mountains, where FRETILIN resistance fighters were suspected. Only in 1978 did the population return to the place and submit to the Indonesians . The church was now completely neglected.

In 1991, the Indonesians carried out a large electrification program in which the main towns were to be supplied with electricity. On this occasion, the Laleia Church was also connected to the electricity.

During the renovation in 2010, the bell towers were raised again. They also received a cross at their tips. A major renovation began in 2013.

  • Baptismal font in the church

  • The altar of Mary

Web links

Commons : Nain Feto Rosário  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne: Easter in East Timor , accessed October 13, 2013.
  2. ↑ Tony Wheeler, Xanana Gusmao, Kristy Sword-Gusmao: East Timor Lonely Planet, London 2004, ISBN 1-74059-644-7 .

Coordinates: 8 ° 32 ′ 11.9 ″  S , 126 ° 9 ′ 47.3 ″  E