Igreja do Mirante is the national headquarters of the Methodist Church in Portugal, sandwiched between two nondescript buildings in Praça Coronel Pacheco, in the civil parish of Cedofeita, Porto.
As you probably know, Portugal is predominantly Catholic (81% in 2011, according to World Factbook), but after the Revolution when Portugal became a democracy, there was an official separation of church and state. At the time Igreja do Mirante began construction (1860), the Portuguese were forbidden by law to open a non-Catholic church. It was built by foreigners and inaugurated on March 25, 1877. The first Methodist church in Portugal was built across the river in Vila Nova de Gaia only a short time before, in 1868.
I first spotted Igreja do Mirante within a week or two of arriving in Porto, but it was at night when we parked our car in the square to attend a function. I remember at the time that the church was well-lit and looked very unusual, but then I completely forgot about it until today, when I passed nearby. And I thank my lucky stars I had my camera with me, because it might’ve taken another two years to remember to come back and photograph it!
There are other interesting churches in Porto that aren’t Catholic, such as the Baptist Church near Boavista. I also plan to visit the Kadoorie Mekor Haim Synagogue, the largest in the Iberian Peninsula.
February 25, 2016
Album: Portugal [Winter 2015/2016]
