Church of the Immaculate Conception, Aruba

This example of the Church of the Immaculate Conception is located in Santa Cruz, Aruba. The interior has been repainted a beautiful sky blue on the ceiling and around some of the niches. Take a look at the video.

The church is located in the center of Santa Cruz. The blue cross atop the bell tower is illuminated at night and can be seen for quite a distance. As the sun sets to the west, northwest, it is a striking backdrop for the bell tower and this cross. Another interesting sight is the adjacent cemetery were there are many examples of fine statuary and haunting photos of the deceased.

There are several more large churches in Aruba and I hope to make videos of every one. Bon dia from Aruba.

Published in: on January 27, 2009 at 11:08 am  Leave a Comment  
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St. Francis Church, Aruba

There are many beautiful churches in Aruba. I made this video of St. Francis Catholic Church in Oranjestad. With the church, I included shots of the nearby Catholic Cemetery. There are many fine statues there and a small chapel, too. It’s worth a quick look around. Here is the video:

The music is “Santa Maria” by Los Niños de Sara. As you can see, there are several fine stained glass windows in the church and a few notable shrines. I’ve seen the faithful come here on various occasions. The level of their devotion is impressive.

Regular readers of this blog will know that I enjoy visiting sites such as this, particularly when they are in use. Whether it be Spain or Aruba or elsewhere, it is an authentic experience to see the people of a particular place living their culture. Furthermore, when experienced “live” you get a better sense of the actual rhythm of daily life as opposed to what you might hear from a guide or read in a book.

Bon dia from Aruba.

Published in: on December 4, 2008 at 7:22 pm  Leave a Comment  
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A Few Churches, Aruba

Many posts ago, I showed an image of a small Protestant Church located here in Aruba. This time, I’m going to show several Catholic Churches. Aruba, with is various cultures, hosts a number of religions. However, given the strong Spanish influence, many people belong to the Catholic faith. Here is one of the large churches located in the town of Noord.

As casual as the island is, many local people dress in their finest for Sunday services, including the children. This is a pleasant sight, as is the devotion they express when filling such large buildings. Here’s another church, this one located in Paradera.

Most all of these churches have schools attached to them. The children don uniforms and file into class carrying their books in “brief cases,” which may be a good thing in that it reminds them of the seriousness of education. Here is one more church, this time in Santa Cruz.

Of course, there are cemeteries beside these churches. In Aruba, just like New Orleans, the tombs are mostly above ground. We’ll take a look at some of those eerie spaces in future posts.

Published in: on August 1, 2008 at 1:20 pm  Comments (1)  
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