The basilica is impossible to miss: a concrete A-frame the height of a small church spire, sloping down on both sides almost to the ground, in the centre of Nuku'alofa just north of the Royal Tombs. The design was meant to echo a traditional Tongan thatched roof; opinions on whether it succeeds vary. Inside the space is single, lofty, and unusually quiet.
The basilica is the seat of the Catholic Diocese of Tonga. Sunday Mass — sung in Tongan with full four-part harmony — is one of the best free shows in the city.