The Mary Star of the Sea Church is a religious building belonging to the Catholic Church and is located in East Sunrise Highway in the city of Freeport, Grand Bahama. Construction began on 5 January 1971 and it was completed on 1 November 1971. It was dedicated on 11 November 1972.
The building was designed by Rene Valladares in the style of Trans-Facetic Contemporary. Availability of materials, and the desire to eliminate pillars, dictated the use of concrete reinforced with steel.
A towering cross, soaring over 40 feet and painted a brilliant red, hovers above the entrance. The colour was chosen to represent the liturgical colour red that symbolized Love, Sacrifice, and the Blood of Martyrdom.
Entering the church, the worshipper steps into a vast colosseum-like area. The walls and ceiling meeting in simple, unbroken lines. Over the altar and sanctuary area, the roof is broken by an apse that rises to thirty-four feet. A recessed area behind the altar provides an effective central location for the eight foot Crucifix, and two invisible windows reflect indirect lighting on it.
A simple, marble-topped altar occupies the centre of the large sanctuary – the semi-circular form chosen so that no one in the congregation is any farther than sixty feet from the altar.
Postcards
1972 – International Graphics (30700 Series)
1976 – Dexter Press Inc (DT-600-D Series – Type G)
