Holy Cross Church, Hanga Roa

The Holy Cross Church^[1] (Spanish: Iglesia de la Santa Cruz), also known as the Catholic Church of Hanga Roa, or simply the Hanga Roa Church is a Catholic Church in Te Pito Te Henua Street^[2] in the city of Hanga Roa,^[3] the capital and greater city of the Easter Island, a Territory of Chile^[4] in the Pacific Ocean. The church was established in 1937, its first priest being Father Sebástian Englert.

Holy Cross Church
Iglesia de la Santa Cruz
27.1483°S 109.424065°W / -27.1483; -109.424065
Location	Hanga Roa
Country	Chile
Denomination	Catholic Church
Tradition	Latin Rite
History
Dedication	Holy Cross

The interior of the Holy Cross Church includes locally-carved representations of Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary and Christian saints. The building is notable for its external decoration: its façade combines Christian religious motifs with native elements. The church is set in surrounding gardens.

Masses are said in Spanish; hymns are sung in the Rapa Nui language. The church's religious services are attended by both local Catholics and tourists attracted by the architecture of the site.

History

The Holy Cross Parish was established in December 1937^[5] and belongs to the Diocese of Valparaíso. The church was founded thanks to the efforts of missionary Sebastian Englert.^[5]

Architecture and Furnishings

The church building is an example of syncretism – a combination of Catholic motifs with local traditions.^[5] This is evident even on the facade, where a horizontal band features Christian symbols, such as the Ten Commandments tablets, keys to heaven, and angels, while the columns display island symbols: figures of Tangata manu, fish, and the manutara bird.^[5]

The interior of the church is simple. Inside, near the entrance, there are sculptures depicting Archangel Michael and St. Francis of Assisi.^[5]

The upper part of the baptismal font is decorated with symbols of rongorongo.^[5] On the left side of the church, there is a sculpture of the Sacred Heart, with Jesus’ face resembling a moai kavakava and a reimiro (a traditional crescent-shaped ornament) on his chest.^[5] Nearby, there is a tabernacle sculpted from a tree trunk, decorated with plant motifs.^[5] The cross above the main altar is made of volcanic stone, while the figure of Christ wears a headdress made of shells and bones.^[5]

To the right of the main altar is the sculpture of the Our Lady of Rapa Nui.^[5] The figure, created in 1970, is considered the first Christian image made on Easter Island by local artisans.^[5] Mary's figure is styled like a moai, with a crown made of shells topped by the silhouette of a manutara.^[5] Her eyes are made of shells with pupils of obsidian.^[5]

The church also contains sculptures of St. Rose of Lima, the Holy Family, and the Holy Spirit.^[5] The sculptures in the temple are made of wood and represent an attempt to integrate local tradition with Christianity.^[6]

Liturgy in the church is conducted in Spanish, but hymns are sung in Rapanui.^[5]

Burials

• Angata
• Eugène Eyraud
• Nicolás Pakarati
• Sebastian Englert

See also

• Catholic Church in Chile

Internal View

References

1. "Hanga Roa, iglesia, caleta, tahai". www.turismoisladepascua.com (in European Spanish). Retrieved 10 February 2017.
2. "El Pueblo – Isla de Pascua". www.portalrapanui.cl. Archived from the original on 2 July 2022. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
3. Oliveros, Jesús Conte (1 January 1994). Isla de Pascua: horizontes sombríos y luminosos : historia documentada (in Spanish). Centro de Investigación de la Imagen. ISBN 9789567473014.
4. Benson, Andrew; Graham, Melissa (3 August 2009). The Rough Guide to Chile. Penguin. ISBN 9781405383813.
5. "Holy Cross Church". Retrieved 6 December 2018.
6. "Honga Roa". Retrieved 6 December 2018.
7. "El Pueblo" (in Spanish). Portal Rapa Nui. Archived from the original on 12 April 2018. Retrieved 6 December 2018.