- Church of the Santíssima Trindade (Fátima)
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Church of the Santíssima Trindade 
Basic information Location Fátima, Portugal Geographic coordinates 39°37′45.5″N 8°40′33″W / 39.629306°N 8.67583°WCoordinates: 39°37′45.5″N 8°40′33″W / 39.629306°N 8.67583°W Affiliation Roman Catholic Year consecrated 2007 Ecclesiastical or organizational status Church Leadership Fr. Virgílio Antunes Website www.santuario-fatima.pt Architectural description Architect(s) Alexandros Tombazis Architectural type Church Direction of façade NE Groundbreaking 2004 Completed 2007 Construction cost 80 million euros Specifications Capacity 9000 Length 95 metres (312 ft) Width 115 metres (377 ft) Height (max) 20 metres (66 ft) Church of the Santíssima Trindade (English: Church of the Most Holy Trinity) is a Roman Catholic church in the Shrine of Our Lady of Fátima in Fátima, Portugal. Ranked as the fourth largest Christian church in the world, the church was constructed between 2004 and 2007 at a cost of 80 million euros.
The first stone was laid on June 6, 2004, by the now retired Bishop of the Diocese of Leiria-Fátima, Bishop Serafim Ferreira e Silva, Pope John Paul II blessed and donated the first stone, on March 9 2004. It is a piece of marble taken from the tomb of Apostle Peter, over which St Peter's Basilica in Rome was built. This was only a symbolic act, as the stone was later put inside the finished church for the pilgrims to see.
It was consecrated on October 12, 2007, on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the apparitions of Fátima, by the Secretary of State of the Vatican and Legate of Holy Father Benedict XVI, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone.
Decoration
The Church, dedicated to the Most Holy Trinity, has about 8500 seats, and its architect was the Greek Alexandros Tombazis. It was entirely paid with gifts from the pilgrims. The decoration is inspired in Byzantine and orthodox art.[1]
Contents
Art works
The iconographic works for the church have been executed by artists of international renown from several countries.
- Main Entrance – Main Door
- Side upper panels, in bronze, by Pedro Calapez (Portugal).
- Lower panels, in glass, by Kerry Joe Kelly (Canada)
- Sculpture at the Entrance Portico by Maria Loizidou (Cyprus)
- Church’s Interior Crucifix by Catherine Green (Ireland)
- Statue of Our Lady of Fátima, by Benedetto Pietrogrande (Italy)
- Back wall of Church’s Sanctuary, by Fr. Marko Ivan Rupnik (Slovenia)
- Painted Tile Panel in Atrium of Apostles Peter and Paul, by Álvaro Siza Vieira (Portugal)
- Statue of Pope John Paul II, outside the Church, by Czesław Dźwigaj (Poland)
- Tall Cross, outside the Church, by Robert Schad (Germany)
References
- We are about to inaugurate the Church of the Most Holy Trinity
- Official website of the architect: Alexandros Tombazis
- Tombazis, Alexandros (2007). Libro S.A.. ed. Fátima. Athens. ISBN 9604901060. OCLC 298694502.
See also
External links
Categories:- Churches in Portugal
- Main Entrance – Main Door
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