St. Rose Cathedral, Santa Rosa de Copán, Baroque cathedral in Santa Rosa de Copán, Honduras

St. Rose Cathedral is built on a Latin cross plan with a single nave divided into three sections, thick adobe walls covered in white plaster and a tiled roof held by wooden columns and beams. Two bell towers are reached by spiral staircases, and the dome rises about 25 metres, flanked by four high-relief angel sculptures with a painted dove of the Holy Spirit at the top. The facade has 20 Roman columns with climbing vines, and the clock sits on a third level built for its machinery.

The building was constructed between 1798 and 1803 as an important project for the developing city. After an earthquake in 1877 damaged the structure, architect Francisco Martinez undertook major repairs in 1880 to restore the affected areas.

The cathedral is also the parish church of Santa Rosa de Lima, so the bishop and the parish priest both celebrate Mass here. In 1984 Mother Teresa of Calcutta visited and founded the Hogar de San José, run by the Missionaries of Charity. The clock on the facade was meant for the town of Florida, but Santa Rosa's congregation raised more enthusiasm to keep it.

The cathedral sits in the heart of downtown and is easy to reach by walking through the main streets. Visitors should wear respectful clothing and behave appropriately during services or prayer times, as it remains an active place of worship.

The clock on the facade was made for the town of Florida, but the parishioners of Santa Rosa raised more enthusiasm and devotion to have it installed in their church in 1862. It has kept accurate time ever since thanks to careful maintenance.