Churches & Cemeteries
By far the earliest Christian presence in the South Atlantic was on St. Helena, dating from the Portuguese arrival in 1502. The Anglican Church arrived with the East India Company, the first church being built about 1674 on or near the site of the Portuguese church. Its replacement, St. James', built in 1774, is the oldest surviving Anglican Church in the Southern Hemisphere. Apart from the Portuguese and Napoleon's chaplains, the Roman Catholic Church dates from 1852 and the Baptists arrived in 1845.
Christianity has deep roots in St Helena and has played a symbolic part in the island's community, the majority of people belonging to the Church of England, being members of the Diocese of St Helena, which includes Ascension Island, and which has its own Bishop residing on St Helena.
Other denominations of Christianity represented on the island for many years are: Roman Catholic, Salvation Army, Baptist, and in more recent times Seventh Day Adventist, Jehovah's Witness and New Apostolic.
The Baha'i Faith has also been represented on the island in more recent times.
These all have one or more buildings set apart for worship. The members of the ‘Two by Two' Christian Group meets for worship in private homes. Visitors are welcomed by all of these Religious Groups.
Details of church services are published in the weekly St Helena Herald
St. Helena is blessed with stunning landscape and countryside, which creates a wonderful setting for some of the most unique, charming and isolated churches in the world. Everyone is warmly welcomed to enjoy and explore some of our local historical churches set in beautiful landscape.
