Saint Louis Cathedral, Port Louis

Saint Louis Cathedral is one of the most historically significant religious landmarks in Mauritius. Its history began in the early 18th century, although several successive churches have occupied the present site. The first was constructed between 1752 and 1756 but was later destroyed by a cyclone. Another church opened in 1782, while a replacement erected under British governor Sir Robert Farquhar in the early 19th century eventually developed serious structural problems. That building was demolished in 1928, and the present cathedral was inaugurated in 1933.

The church became the Cathedral of Port Louis on December 7, 1847, when the Apostolic Vicariate of Mauritius was elevated to the status of a diocese. Today, it remains the seat of the bishop of Port Louis and an important center of Catholic worship. Its façade, flanked by two towers built from local stone, closely reproduces the appearance of the earlier cathedral. Inside are statues, paintings, and furnishings preserved from the former sanctuary.

Saint Louis Cathedral is also the burial place of several former leaders of the Diocese of Port Louis. Beneath the paving of the choir lie Bishops Michael Adrian Hankinson, Léon Meurin, Peter Augustine O’Neill, James Romanus Bilsborrow, James Leen, and Cardinal Jean Margéot, who died in July 2009. Their tombs reflect the cathedral’s long-standing position at the heart of Catholic life in Mauritius.