Saint Joseph's Cathedral, Dar es Salaam, Catholic cathedral in central Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Saint Joseph's Cathedral is a Catholic place of worship in central Dar es Salaam featuring pointed arches, ribbed vaults, and flying buttresses in the Gothic Revival style. The building sits on Sokoine Drive and includes decorative stained glass windows and an eight-sided tower with grey roof tiles.
Benedictine monks of the St. Ottilien Congregation built the church between 1897 and 1902 in the Neo-Gothic style, during the German colonial period in what was then German East Africa. It was consecrated in 1905 and later became the seat of the Archdiocese of Dar es Salaam.
Masses are held in Swahili and English, reflecting the bilingual congregation of Tanzania's largest city. The seat of the Archdiocese of Dar es Salaam, the cathedral has been led since 2019 by Archbishop Jude Thadaeus Ruwa'ichi. The stained-glass windows behind the altar are the feature most often noted by those who attend.
The cathedral stands on Sokoine Drive facing the harbour, opposite the ferry landing for Zanzibar and next to the White Fathers' House. It is an active parish and the archdiocese's seat, so visits fit around services; Mass is held in Swahili and English. Jude Thadaeus Ruwa'ichi has been archbishop since 2019.
The cathedral was built by Benedictine monks of the St. Ottilien Congregation during the German colonial period in what was then German East Africa. It stands on Sokoine Drive directly opposite the ferry landing for Zanzibar, so the crossing point to the islands is visible from the church forecourt.
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