Santo Antonio de Manatuto

The Santo António de Manatuto Church is dedicated to Saint Anthony of Lisbon . It is near the coast, in the East Timorese city of Manatuto ( Suco Sau ). The church is in the colonial, Portuguese style. Two rectangular towers frame the facade of the entrance. A cross towers over the entrance on the gable roof in between. Below is a white star on a blue background. The church belongs to the diocese of Baucau .

history

Manatuto Church (June 1970)

The Dominican Manuel de Santo António succeeded in converting the Liurais of Manatuto around 1700 . In 1738 the second seminary of Timor was established here after the seminary in Oe-Cusse . From 1769 to 1877, the bishop for the colony had his seat in Manatuto instead of the capital Dili .

The foundation stone of the church was laid on September 20, 1880 by Father Gracez. It was inaugurated in January 1886. In 1936 and again after the Second World War in 1950, the church under Padre Ave Maria de Almeida was renovated. Further renovations took place in 1986 under Father Augustinho da Costa and in 2009 under Father Benedictus Randuno.

The feast of St. Anthony takes place in front of the church on June 13th . Men dress up as scarecrows with simple masks made of cardboard, fabric or plastic and wear robes that are decorated with straw. Equestrian games with magnificently decorated Timor ponies are also part of the festival . Moradores and school bands also perform .