Saturday they were thousands of Catholics gathered to attend the consecration and blessing of the transitional Cathedral of Port-au-Prince, called to temporarily accommodate the faithful of Our Lady of the Assumption, deprived of their cathedral since the earthquake January 12, 2010.

This transitional Cathedral was built on the site of another cathedral of the colonial era completely destroyed by fire in January 1991 during political violence. Its construction that meets seismic standards has cost $2 million and can host up to 3,000 worshipers indicated the chancellor of the diocese, Mgr. Patrick Harys in a press conference.

"Today, thanks to God and benefactors that God sent on our course, we can say, that the time of inconvenience is over for Christians of the parish of Our Lady of the Assumption," declared Mgr. Guire Poulard, who celebrated the Mass, which was attended, beside a crowd of faithful, members of the Catholic clergy, political and diplomatic personalities.

The decree establishing the "transitional Cathedral" states that the Cathedral of Port-au-Prince "remains to build in time when the resources will be available."

"This is an issue that concerns the Church and the State," specified the chancellor of the diocese. The construction costs of the new definitive Cathedral, on the site of the building destroyed by the earthquake are estimated between 40 to 45 million dollars.

Father Guy Chrispin, pastor of the parish insisted that the final Cathedral, will not necessarily correspond to the model presented https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-7468-haiti-reconstruction-the-project-of-the-new-notre-dame-cathedral-of-port-au-prince-in-pictures.html . "The final decision is in the the hands of Mgr. Guire Poulard that will take into account with his team of the liturgical aspect, of the Cathedral's design."

TB/ HaitiLibre