La Catedral San Carlos De Borromeo (Cathedral of St. Charles Borromeo) is the seat of Manuel Hilario de Céspedes y García Menocal

Manuel Hilario de Céspedes y García Menocal

Bishop Manuel Hilario de Céspedes y García Menocal is the Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Matanzas ....

, the Bishop

Bishop

A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...

 of Roman Catholic Diocese of Matanzas

Roman Catholic Diocese of Matanzas

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Matanzas is a suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of San Cristobal de la Habana.-Ordinaries:*Charles Warren Currier *Severiano Sainz y Bencamo...

, Cuba

Cuba

The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...

.

History

On October 12, 1693, the first stone of this church, the Cathedral of St. Charles Borromeo, and held Mass in the place. This mass was conducted by the Bishop Diego Evelino Hurtado de Compostela

Diego Evelino Hurtado de Compostela

Bishop Diego Evelino Hurtado Vélez was the Bishop of Diocese of Santiago de Cuba...

. The original church was guano (the leaves of the royal palm

Roystonea

Roystonea is a genus of eleven species of monoecious palms, native to the Caribbean Islands, and the adjacent coasts of Florida, Central and South America. Commonly known as the royal palms, the genus was named for Roy Stone, a U.S. Army engineer...

) and was destroyed by a storm. Shortly afterwards construction was begun, finishing the work in 1735 with all its facilities in use by 1750. It used to be a beautiful and elegant church with frescoes on the walls, ceilings and in the big dome, but after years of neglect due to poor funding, the decay today seems irreparable.

Location

The cathedral is in the neighborhood of Matanzas

Matanzas

Matanzas is the capital of the Cuban province of Matanzas. It is famed for its poets, culture, and Afro-Cuban folklore.It is located on the northern shore of the island of Cuba, on the Bay of Matanzas , east of the capital Havana and west of the resort town of Varadero.Matanzas is called the...

; the section of the city between the two rivers, the Yumuri and San Juan. A half block from the Parque de la Libertad (Freedom Park) and the Palacio Provincial (Provincial Palace). It is located on calle Jovellanos (Jovellanos Street), between Milanes and Independence streets.

See also

• Religion in Cuba
  Religion in Cuba
  Cuba is traditionally a Catholic country. In some instances Catholicism is much modified and influenced through syncretism. A common syncretic belief is Santería, which was brought to Cuba by the slaves from Africa and spread to neighboring islands; it shows similarities to Brazilian Umbanda and...