St Mary's Cathedral

Colonial-era Catholic cathedral in the historic Ela Beach precinct

St Mary's Cathedral is the seat of the Archdiocese of Port Moresby, located in the older downtown precinct near the waterfront. The building is a solid mid-century structure that looks onto a small plaza. It is open to visitors outside of service times and is a calm retreat from the noise of the city.

The interior holds some fine local carving and woodwork incorporated into the liturgical furnishings — small pieces that reflect the Catholic missions' integration of Melanesian craft traditions. Worth a short stop if you are exploring the downtown area on foot.

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A story
The present cathedral, built in the 1960s, stands on a site of Catholic worship that predates Papua New Guinea's independence. During World War II, Japanese bombing raids on Port Moresby reduced much of the downtown area to rubble, but the church community rebuilt and the cathedral eventually became one of the anchoring landmarks of the old town.

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