Central Nave
Cathedrals usually have a plan shaped like a Latin cross. Upon entering the church, visitors find themselves in a long aisle, called the nave. The nave is a central part located between the narthex and the choir. The nave is edged by two rows of pillars supporting the vault (ceiling).
06 stained glass windows adorn the aisles of the Cathedral.
04 of them present the armorial bearings of the first bishops of the diocese of Martinique.
Their respective coats of arms are surrounded by uniform decorations with geometric patterns.
Armorial bearings are the symbolic representation of emblems that indicate a dignity (…) like that of a bishop. One may recognize therein: the insignia of the bishop (the crosier and the mitre); in the center, the bishop’s personal blazon which is surrounded by an ecclesiastical hat with its tassels. The elements of the blazon are placed on a surface called a shield. The shield can be square, oval or diamond shaped. In the shield, we can distinguish two areas: the chief, that is the upper edge of the shield, and the base occupying the lower part. The blazon is surmounted by an ornament and the coat of arms is complemented by the motto of the bishop.
1- The coat of arms of Monsignor Fava
2- The coat of arms of Monsignor Porchez
3- Stained glass windows “Carpenter’s workshop of Saint Joseph”
4- Stained glass windows “The Angels Gabriel & Rafaël”
5- The coat of arms of Monsignor Carméné
6- The coat of arms of Monsignor Le Herpeur
Monsignor Jean-François-Etienne Leherpeur (1851-1858)
Born in Caen in 1797, Jean-François Leherpeur was ordained a priest in 1820. When the bishopric of Fort-de-France was created on September 27, 1850, he was chosen to hold the office of bishop. Monsignor Leherpeur arrived in Martinique on April 25, 1851. He remained at the head of the young diocese until his death on April 13, 1858. He was buried in the Notre-Dame du Bon Port (Our Lady of the Safe Harbor) Cathedral in the Mouillage district of Saint-Pierre.
The coat of arms of Monsignor Leherpeur [1851-1858], depicted on a stained-glass window in the left side aisle, near the porch, displays:
A square shield
A blazon:
– chief on a blue field with olive branches
– base on a white field with a ship sailing on the waves
An ornament: a crown flanked, on the left and on the right, by the insignia of the bishop: the miter and the crosier
A motto: “Veniens evangelizo pacem” [I came to announce peace]
Born in 1805, Louis-Martin Porchez first arrived in Guadeloupe with the first bishop, then went to Martinique. When Monsignor Leherpeur died, Louis-Martin was vicar general of the diocese. He became the bishop of Martinique on November 21, 1858. His episcopate was brief; he died on June 12, 1860 and was buried alongside Monsignor Leherpeur.
The coat of arms of Monsignor Porchez [1858-1860], depicted on a stained-glass window in the left side aisle, near the transept, displays:
A square shield,
A blazon:
– chief on a blue field with the Marian monogram
– base on a red field with a coconut tree symbolizing the island, the anchor to mark the arrival by boat and a handshake
An ornament: a crown flanked, on the left and on the right, by the insignia of the bishop: the miter and the crosier
A motto: “In Vinculis Charitatis” [In the bonds of charity]
Monsignor Armand Joseph Fava (1871-1875)
Armand Joseph Fava was born in 1826 in Pas-de-Calais. He was ordained a priest in 1851. It was from the Reunion Island, where he remained vicar general for 20 years, that he was appointed Bishop of Martinique on January 25, 1871. His appointment put an end to a vacancy of eleven years at the head of the diocese of Martinique then administered by vicar general Prudent Gusdon, followed by vicar general Benjamin Blanger.
Bishop Fava’s episcopate was short-lived. 4 years after taking office, he left the diocese to become Bishop of Grenoble.
The coat of arms of Monsignor Fava [1871-1875], depicted on a stained-glass window in the right side aisle, near the porch, displays:
An oval shield,
A blazon:
– chief on a red field with the monograms of Christ and the Virgin Mary
– base on a blue field with a coconut tree and the mountain, symbolizing the island of Martinique
An ornament: a cross flanked, on the left and on the right, by the insignia of the bishop: the miter and the crosier
A motto: “Accepit puerum et matrem ejus” [He took the child and his mother]
Monsignor Julien-François-Pierre Carméné (1875-1898)
Born in Brittany in 1829, Julien-François-Pierre Carméné first exercised his priestly ministry for 22 years in the Reunion Island, where he was appointed Vicar General. It was then that he was chosen to be the new bishop of the diocese of Martinique on August 24, 1875. He remained at the head of the diocese for twenty-two years and, alongside the population, faced the epidemics, the fire burning the city of Fort-de-France in 1890 and the devastating cyclone of 1891. He resigned from his functions on July 18, 1897 and retired to Brittany where he died in 1908.
The coat of arms of Julien-François-Pierre Carméné [1875-1898]
An oval shield
A blazon:
– a blue field with a single figure: the Virgin and Child
An ornament: a cross flanked, on the left and on the right, by the insignia of the bishop: the miter and the crosier
A double motto:
– top motto: “Omnibus debitur sum” [I owe myself to all]
– bottom motto: “Sub tuum praesidium” [Under your protection Virgin Mary]
Two more stained glass windows display: on the left, the angels Gabriel and Rafael and, on the right, the carpenter’s workshop of Saint Joseph.
The Angels Gabriel and Rafael
Carpenter’s workshop of Saint Joseph
Above the central nave, 02 galleries have openwork railings. They are now inaccessible except on exceptional occasions.
A magnificent openwork wrought-iron balcony can be seen there .
