Saint Francis Church, built in 1919, is one of Oranjestad’s most important iconic landmarks. For the longest time, the church tower was the highest point, serving as an ideal reference point for sailors.

This is the fifth church of its name on this location. The first St. Francis Church was built between 1809 and 1813. With walls of plaited branches and a roof of cornstalks, it collapsed during a rainstorm in 1828. The second St. Francis Church was consecrated in 1828. On Thursday, April 22, 1864, the first stone of the of the third St. Francis Church was laid. However, that building collapse even before its official consecration, with only the northern wall, the tower, and the chancel surviving, which was later swiftly rebuilt. In the end, the third St. Francis Church did not suffice either. A fourth St. Francis Church was consecrated on May 1st, 1871.

The church shares many similarities with St. Anne’s Church in Noord, which is no surprise since both churches were designed by the priest Stephanus van de Pavert. The Franciscan complex consists of the St. Francis Church and an accompanying rectory. The complex plays an important role in the island’s history if churches in general, and those of the Dominican Order in particular.

As for the first St. Francis Church: thanks to money raised from collections in Curaçao and the Netherlands, reconstruction could begin and the new church was consecrated at the end of 1828. It was the largest and highest building on the island, even though it had no church tower. On the red tiled roof, in which the year 1828 could be read with differently colored tiles, there were several crosses. In 1864, this church was replaced by the third St. Francis Church, seen here in a photo from 1903:

On the left is the former rectory and on the right the old school. This church was demolished in 1917 and replaced by the current one.

(1964)

On the north side of the church is the rectory, built in 1848 by Father Basilius, chaplain of the St. Francis Church. The building consists of two floors and has been renovated several times. On the west side of the rectory is a fence with a statue of the Madonna.