The Cathedral of Our Lady of Fair Haven of Roseau, originally known in French as , is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Roseau, the capital city of Dominica in the Caribbean. The church is the see of the Diocese of Dominica, suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Castries, Saint Lucia. The cathedral is an example of European creolisation influence in Dominica. Built in the Gothic Romanesque revival style, the cathedral's consecration, in its present form, is dated to 1916. Though it may appear small from the outside, the interior is spacious and well lit. Etymology While Kalinago people originally called the region Sairi, French woodcutters named the city Roseau, in the 18th century. Roseau () is the name of the river, the town, and the cathedral. The cathedral, originally called in French "", is popularly known as "Our Lady of Fair Haven". It was also known at one time as "Our Lady of Bon Port". Geography The location of the cathedral is in the southern part of the town of Roseau on the banks of the Roseau River, which assures a good water supply. The availability of a large plane of land on the south river bank also dictated the cathedral's location. The cathedral is located to the north of the Fort Young Hotel and northeast of the Dominica Museum. History The church at Roseau was initially a small wood hut with a thatched roof made of locally available reed. Carib people built the cathedral in the local building tradition. 18th century In 1727, the plot of land was first surveyed for building. Three years later, in 1730, Father Guillaume Martel established a permanent church. He planned and built a by church made of solid wood (timber-framed) and stone flooring, to meet the growing congregational needs of settlers who had come from France and occupied territory on the south coast of the island nation. In April 1796, Agostino Brunias was buried in the Catholic cemetery, located at the site of the church. 19th century This church survived until 1816 when it was destroyed by hurricane. The present church, which was built 24 years later, located at the same site, was also found to be inadequate to meet the growing needs of church goers. This was a result of the abolition of slavery and permitting former slaves to attend church services. Black and white people sat together to worship in the