| Santa Rosa Church | |
| Native Name: | Sint Rosakerk |
| Native Name Lang: | nl |
| Location: | Paramaribo |
| Country: | Suriname |
| Denomination: | Roman Catholic Church |
| Diocese: | Diocese of Paramaribo |
| Dedication: | Rose of Lima |
| Consecrated Date: | 28 June 1911 |
| Materials: | Wood[1] |
| Capacity: | 300 |
| Coordinates: | 5.8225°N -55.1635°W |
The Santa Rosa Church (Dutch: Sint Rosakerk) is a Roman Catholic church located in Paramaribo, Suriname. The current church dates from 1911, and is the second largest church in Paramaribo.[2] It is located in the centre of the city and part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.[3]
In the middle of the 19th century there was a large increase in the number of Catholics in Suriname.[4] In 1861, the building of of the freemasons was purchased, and turned into a church.[5] The church was dedicated to Rose of Lima.[6]
In 1911, a larger church was built with two towers,[2] and consecrated on 28 June 1911.[7] It is a deep church with a small square in front. The building consists of a high central nave with a flat ceiling, and two side naves, and is painted in the same colour scheme as the Saint Peter and Paul Cathedral.[2]
The organ of the Rosa Church was built by Jos H. Vermeulen and dates from 1929.[8] There are two bells in the left tower.[8] In 1946, the Rosa Church was hit by lightning which caused a hole of several metres in the tower.[9] In 2009, the Mary statue of the clergy house of the in The Hague was donated to the Rosa Church and placed in an artificial cave in front of the church.[10]
In 2020, a restoration of the Rosa Church started, because the building suffered from leakage and barklice. In May 2021, during the restoration, both towers were struck by lightning and damaged.[3]
The clergy house is in use by the boy scouts,[3] and the church is also used as a concert hall.[11]