ST. PAULS CATHEDRAL

The prominent landmark, St. Paul's Cathedral, is the cathedral of the diocese and the Anglican parish church of Victoria, Mahé.

The original church was once consecrated to the apostle St. Paul and stood on the site of the present church. It was blessed on 14 May 1859 by Vincent William Ryan, the first bishop of Mauritius. Over the years, the building has been extended twice ' 1910 with a new tower and 1978 with an offset altar.

In December 1920 St. Paul's became a pro-cathedral, where the bishop had his second bishop's see ('cathedra'), and the name of the diocese changed from Mauritius to the Diocese of Mauritius and the Seychelles.

Due to a constant lack of space and difficult and costly maintenance, it was decided in 2001 to completely renew the structure. The cathedral, which was then blessed on 25 April 2004, was financed with generous donations from the government and private individuals and now offers double capacity for 800 people.