1954 – Cathedral of Maria Assumpta, Owerri, Nigeria

The cathedral project in Owerri was led by the diocese and its Irish Bishop, Joseph Brendan Whelan, who brough in Irish architects Hooper & Mayne. Another Irish priest, Rev. Christopher King, who had architectural training, supervised the construction of the structure until the Nigerian Civil War. Work had started in 1954, but the church wasn’t dedicated until 1980 because of stoppages caused by this conflict. The Architectural Review of 1959 published the model and plan along with photographs of construction. During the civil war, Bishop Whelan was imprisoned prior to being deported in 1970.

The war stopped construction from 1967 to 1970. Before the war, construction had progressed quicklyand the main part of the building except for the roof deck and covering was already finished. During the war, the unfinished cathedral came under fire on occasion because the dome was thought to be an observation post. The central dome is over 36 meters high and 30 meters in diameter.

The structure of the church is designed in the shape of a Greek cross with four naves of equal length spread in opposite directions and between the naves are four chapels. The altar is centrally located and has a dome that reaches 120 feet in height and 101 feet in diameter. The interior floor is made of marble while the material of the structure is reinforced concrete. The capacity of the building is 3,000.

The history of the building of the cathedral of Maria Assumpta is typical of that so often met with in religious ventures. Construction started as long ago as 1954 since when it has progressed intermittently, chiefly because of lack of funds. Dublin architects were responsible for the general design of the Cathedral and the steelwork was designed in and supplied from Eire. On-site work is being done by local labour. By March 1966 the main part of the building had been completed apart from the roof decking and covering.

The Cathedral, which when completed will seat a congregation of 3,000, in sited in a commanding position at the junction of three roads about a mile from the centre of Owerri in the Port Harcourt area of Nigeria and is planned in the form of a Greek cross measuring 230 ft by 221 ft with an 88 ft diameter dome at the crossing. Inside the building the arms of the cross span 48 ft 6 in. The dome, 93 ft 6 in high, terminates with an octagonal lantern, the ceiling of which is 101 ft above floor level.

Radiating symmetrically from the centre are four smaller buildings forming a sub cross transforming the main Greek cross into an eight-pointed star: two of the buildings house the 28 ft by 22 ft 6 in main side chapels and the other two the public gallery and the choir gallery. Above each of these buildings are twin octagonal belfry towers which form a predominant feature of the external massing, explaining visually the supporting and buttressing system of the dome.

All four main roofs and that of the dome also are to be covered with copper-surfaced felt on timber decking secured to steel trusses through timber purlins. Ceilings will, in general, be finished in hardboard sheeting and exposed parts of the steel trusses finished in plaster.
Building with Steel, 1967

Badly damaged by a fire in March 2022.