Alto Vista: The Cradle of Arubian Catholicism

Published | Jul 12, 2024

Aruba is an autonomous representative democracy within a constitutional monarchy and as such every citizen has the freedom of religion, among other rights.

Although the island is 80% Catholic there’s about 50+ different religions, denominations, beliefs, you name it we got it. The establishment of Catholicism as a predominant religion stems with the arrival of the Spanish settlers towards the end of the 15th century.

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The conquistadors were accompanied by missionaries who would spread the faith and convert the indigenous populous, as they conquered land in the name of the Spanish empire to ease the process of conversion and facilitate communication, the mission would also incorporate a baptized indigenous guide, either a member of-, friend or ally to the Caquetio the main indigenous population living on Aruba from 1000AD till around the early 1500’s.

A frequently asked question on tour is if Aruba is part of the Dutch Kingdom, how did Catholicism become the main faith and not Protestantism? Long story short, by the time the Dutch arrived in 1636 the Spanish had already held position of the island in one way, shape or form for 135 years, giving the catholic faith ample time to propagate and find stable footing amongst the islands indigenous and Spanish creole inhabitants.

Landschap - Noord, Alto Vista, het kapelletje 580600 c

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to welcome you to the Alto Vista chapel. Nestled on the northern shore of the island, isolated but easily accessible Alto Vista chapel lays watch over the coast that touches the Caribbean Sea.

The chapel and its surrounding area is pristine and mystical, festooned with cacti and boulders murmuring about days past and days to come. It’s a place where one can take the time to forget about time, escape from the grind, in moments of serenity to, reflect, meditate, pray or just be. According to research there was a small Caquetio village surrounding the vicinity of Alto Vista Hill.

Legend has it, that the place where the chapel now stands was sacred and was used for rituals and ancient traditions now long forgotten. Records of the official date of the chapel’s construction are hazy, but we do know it was consecrated on April 20 th , 1750, As the Chapel of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, we also know it was built by Domingo Antonio Silvestre on what was then part of his property. The original structure was presumably made from limestone topped with a maize stalk roof.

Not much is known about Domingo only that he came from Venezuela and lived in Alto Vista. Guided by his piety and love for the faith he took it upon himself to build a place of worship, where the ever-growing congregation mostly of the indigenous persuasion would gather for catechism and to say rosary.

The Alto Vista Chapel: Cradle of Catholicism

A place where missionary priests from the mainland could give mass, baptize aka convert said believers by choice rather than persuasion, perform the sacraments of confirmation, marriage and propagate the doctrine of Christs Universal church. All in all the cradle of Arubian Catholicism. There is a common misconception even among locals that the current Alto Vista chapel is the oldest religious building
This is not true.

The current edifice is a renovation built where the old chapel used to stand, it was erect and concentrated in 1952. The oldest religious building is the Church on the Bay in Playa commonly known as Kerki protestant or Kerki 1846.

If you’re wondering, the chapel is still in use and has mass every Tuesday afternoon at 5pm, and every first Saturday of the month at 7am. Now before you freak out, the crosses that adorn the roadside on the way to the chapel represent the 14 stations of the passion of Jesus Christ commonly known as The Way of The Cross, a step-by-step reenactment of Jesus’s conviction, crucifixion and death.

Traditionally in the wee hours of good Friday devout patrons would venture via procession to Alto Vista and walk the way of the cross. The tour guide must be honest and mention that the chapel is actually not an attraction, even though it has been marketed as such for the past 60 years.

It is…as stated earlier…a place of serenity to, reflect, meditate, pray or just be. So that’s why whenever you visit Alto Vista, keep your decibel levels low, dress appropriately, leave those beer bottles in the jug, and act respectfully.