Church of Saint Adrião

"The Parish Church of Saint Adrião de Mocamedes began to be erected on July 27, 1849, by Provincial Instructions, of March 30 of that year, emanating from Governor General Acácio Adrião da Silveira Pinto, instructing Major Ferreira Horta to "build a temple of sufficient dimensions to accommodate "not only all the inhabitants of the colony, but also the neighboring indigenous people, who came to the village to attend religious acts, or who were on holy days there".

Of simple religious architecture, in late Baroque, where the usual symmetrical composition dominates, expressed on the façade, the Parish Church of Saint Adrião de Mocamedes has nothing to do with other roared churches, in which the tower often appears in a central position, in the tradition of some French Gothic, with expressive marking of vertical lines and systematic application of the pointed arch.

In late Baroque style with its frontispiece and the four custom pilasters, entablature and two towers, between which is inserted a central triangular pediment with circular glass glazed in the center, on which the stone cross is raised.

It was then lived in a predominantly secular framework in the urbanization of the 19th century, in which there was little public investment in relation to the religious theme, in comparison with the previous time.

It is known that the construction of a temple was one of the requirements of Bernardino to the Government, even while in Brazil, it is also known that it was not possible to find a priest to accompany the colonists on their journey to Mocamedes, and that on arrival at Mocamedes on August 4, 1849, in a chronicle of November 2, 1849:

"It is very urgent to see it completed, as I could not fail to scandalize any Catholic traveler, that a society as numerous as today is that of Mozambique, does not have a house of prayer, where it gathers to give thanks to the Almighty and ask for the aid that each one lacks ".

The works of the church and the parish priest's house are in such a degree of advance, in spite of the few workers and means, that with three more months of work they would be ready. What is to be done is limited to garnishing all the fine lime work, some wooden ornaments in the chancel, the two side altars, and, finally, the balusters for the church's web and choir.

" Fernando Leal of December 31, 1854, it can be read: effectively, in the Provincial Instructions, of March 30, 1849, that Governor-General Acácio Adrião da Silveira Pinto, commissioned Major Ferreira Horta to build a temple of sufficient dimensions to house "not only all the inhabitants of the colony, but also the neighboring indigenous people, who came to the village to attend religious acts, or who were in sanctified days there".

In fact, the works began on March 30, 1849, and when the colony arrived in Mocamedes, on August 4th of that year, the walls of the future Church of Saint Adrião were already started, which were not continued. 

It was Bernardino who, when he left for Luanda on August 16th of the same year, took over There are those who believe that this would have been the first subject to be dealt with by Bernardino in Luanda, taking steps to ensure that there is no lack of religious assistance to the settlers.

The truth is that fifteen days later, and on September 27, a Note from the Government of the Bishopric was published, ordering the parish priest of Benguela to go to Moçamedes to "administer sacraments of necessity, and marriage".