Island Worship

The history of our island is mirrored in its old church structures, many of which have recently been restored. The Moravian brethren, arriving here in the 1730s from Saxony in today’s Germany, founded their mission to bring Christianity to the enslaved part of the population.
The historic Anglican (Episcopalian) churches built in Gothic style include St. John’s in Christiansted and, in Frederiksted, the beautifully restored St. Paul’s church.
The large number of Irish settlers, along with Englishmen and Hispanics, have contributed to the presence of the Catholic church; Holy Cross in Christiansted is the oldest in the Virgin Islands.
The Danish rule of the island from 1733 to 1917 brought the Lutheran church, which still plays a large role here. Lord God of Sabaoth in Christiansted occupies the former Dutch Reformed Church; Holy Trinity in Frederiksted was built shortly after the town was founded.
The Dutch Reformed church (Presbyterian) now has a new mid-island home.
These are just a few of the many (over 150) churches on St. Croix, from Seventh- Day Adventist to Methodist, Baptist, Church of God, and many more. Church attendance and activities are important to a large part of our population; visitors are always welcome at services, often a high point in their island experience.
Many other faiths offer places of worship-a Jewish synagogue, a Hindu temple, and a Moslem mosque, to name a few. An easy-to-follow guide is actually the yellow pages of our local phone book beginning on Page 63.

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