Schei Family Adventures: St. Thomas Places of Religion

Frederick Lutheran Church

The congregation was established in 1666. This church was the official church of the Danish West Indies. The building went up in 1793 and replaced two earlier buildings that were destroyed by fire. It has since been refurbished.

The pipe organ even had steel drums. We did not get to hear them.

We went to Transformation Sunday and Ash Wednesday service at this church. During Transfiguration Sunday, the Pastor and Sunday school children painted their faces to represent what Transfiguration meant to them. A 10 year girl (Candisa Lake) ended the service play by playing a classical piece that she composed. Amazing! She is destined to become quite a musician.

St. Thomas Reformed Church

Established around 1660, this church has the oldest congregation in the Virgin Islands. Organized by Dutch traders as the St. Thomas Protestant Reformed Dutch Church, early services were held in Fort Christian. The first church was built in the mid-1670s and remained in use to at least 1731. Current building is from 1844 and designed like a Greek temple.

Fans are available in most churches

St. Thomas Synagogue

Built in 1833, the structure was built with local stone and ballast brick and the mortar is made with molasses and sand. The floor is marble and they continue the tradition of having sand on the floor commemorating the Israelites exodus from Egypt. This is the oldest synagogue in continuous use under the American flag and is the second oldest in the Western Hemisphere.

This sign was outside the Synagogue.

Velda stopped at the gift shop and bought 5 ornaments (2 of the ark and 3 doves). The ornaments are made in Thailand. The proceeds of the sale of the ornaments go to programs to help protect children from going into the sex trade.

Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Cathedral

Completed in 1848, this beautiful cathedral serves as the seat of the Territory’s Roman Catholic Diocese.