La Churcha Samana
Above: Alex a stallholder on Catalina Island
La Churcha
I must confess that one of my most moving memories of the Dominican Republic was a visit to La Churcha Samana. I say that even though I am not a particularly religious person.
If you look at the map to the right you can see that Samana in is the East of the Dominican Republic. It is accessible by road and plane.
The Dominican Evangelical Church Saint Peter Samana [to give it the full name!] otherwise known as La Churcha Samana, has had a colourful history.
La Churcha is an old church building shipped out all the way from England in 1824. As it came out by boat the building is prefabricated and has a tin-roofed structure. Occasionally in the past it has received storm damage hence the reason for our visit ie to make a donation towards its repair.
Who can imagine the determination and ingenuity needed to ship a church out from England to the Dominican Republic in 1824?!!![cont right]
The purpose of La Churcha was to house the freed North American slave congregation who became the nucleus of the Wesleyan Methodist Church.
Today it is the Dominican Evangelical Church, and its the romantic Victorian architecture has lured many a photographer to its portals.
You can find La Churcha Samana short walk from the seafront up a slight slope. It often works harmoniously with the African Methodist Episcopalian Church which is another interesting building, a short walk away.
The below video is a small glimpse of our visit to La Churcha. We received a wonderfully warm welcome from Rev. Moses James and his congregation.
La Churcha Samana had been damaged by the hurricane of 2004 and as British Ambassador, Andy Ashcroft had received a letter asking for funds to help with repairs. He managed to persuade the authorities to provide a contribution and took the trouble to travel to the church to present the cheque. As I was visiting Andy on holiday, I went with him to this appointment.
The church was full of devoted parishoners, many who were well into their 80`s and 90`s. Many of them addressed the gathering to give thanks for the assistance and they did so with a belief and passion that I had not previously witnessed. I have kept the running order of the service and when time permits I will post it on the site.
La Churcha Samana
The province is located in north east Dominican Republic on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. As well as being known for the whale watching it is also known for its splendid mountains.
There is no doubt that it is one of the most beautiful areas of the Dominican Republic, yet the tourist industry has not yet exploited the full potential of its location.
The map of the airports to the below shows where you can fly into in Samana.
Samana is best know for its whale and you find out more about the town and the whales by clicking here
La Churcha Samana
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