There exist a number of Antarctic churches, including both Christian churches on Antarctica proper and those that were built south of the Antarctic Convergence. According to the 6th article of the Antarctic Treaty, Antarctica is defined politically as all land and ice shelves south of the 60th parallel, while the nearest natural boundary is the Antarctic Convergence.
There are eight churches on Antarctica proper,Riedel, Dr. Katja. Faith in Antarctica – Religion in the land of eternal snow . Polar News. April 27, 2016. Retrieved January 18, 2017. with another two located south of the Antarctic Convergence.Merchant, Brian. Prayer on Ice: The Six Churches Giving Sermons to Scientists on Antarctica . Vice. March 18, 2013. Retrieves January 2, 2017. The southernmost of these religious buildings is the Chapel of Our Lady of the Snows, a Catholic chapel carved out of the ice surrounding the Belgrano II Base, at Bertrab Nunatak.Inside Antarctica's Catholic Ice Chapel, the World's Southernmost Church. Church Pop. Retrieved December 29, 2016. While there are currently only a few freestanding structures dedicated solely to Christian religions, most research stations have small meeting rooms that are dual-purposed partially for religious services. These rooms are also commonly used by adherents of other world religions.Gabrielle Walker: Antarctica: An Intimate Portrait of a Mysterious Continent, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013, The Chapel of the Snows also hosts services for other faith groups such as Latter Day Saints, Baháʼí, and Buddhism.Chapel of the Snows. A history of the Chapel of the Snows. Retrieved December 29, 2016 These religious structures serve the entire population of Antarctica, which varies from approximately 4,400 in summer to 1,100 in winter. This population is spread across approximately 40 year-round stations and a range of summer-only stations, camps, and refuges.Antarctica. World Factbook. CIA. February 16, 2016. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
Churches This list catalogs churches and other religious buildings built south of the 60th parallel.
Name Denomination Location Year opened Picture Notes Chapel of Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Belgrano II Base, Bertrab Nunatak After 1979 – Chapel of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Esperanza Base, Hope Bay 1976 Stagnaro, Angelo. Antarctica: Faith in the Land of Eternal Snows . National Catholic Register. February 21, 2016 Retrieved December 29, 2016. Chapel of St. Mary Queen of Peace Catholic Villa Las Estrellas, King George Island ? Chapel of the Blessed Virgin of Luján Catholic Marambio Base, Marambio Island 1996 Oratorio de la Capilla de la Base Marambio. Marambio Base. Retrieved December 29, 2016. Chapel of the Snows Interfaith McMurdo Station, Ross Island 1956 Destroyed 1978 Rebuilt 1989 Chapel of the Snows. Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station. Retrieved December 29, 2016. St. Ivan Rilski Chapel Eastern Orthodox St. Kliment Ohridski Base, Livingston Island 2003 rebuilt 2011 Ivanov, L. General Geography and History of Livingston Island. In: Bulgarian Antarctic Research: A Synthesis. Eds. C. Pimpirev and N. Chipev. Sofia: St. Kliment Ohridski University Press, 2015. pp. 17–28. St. Volodymyr Chapel Eastern Orthodox Vernadsky Research Base, Galindez Island 2010–2011 Trinity Church Eastern Orthodox King George Island 2004 Trinity Church on King George Island. Atlas Obscura. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
Antarctic Churches not on Antarctica
This list catalogs churches and other religious buildings built south of the Antarctic Convergence, but north of the 60th parallel.
Name Denomination Location Year opened Picture Notes Norwegian Anglican Church The Whalers Church Anglicanformerly Norwegian Lutheran Grytviken, South Georgia 1913 Quinn, Liam. Grytviken Church, South Georgia . Wondermondo. Retrieved December 29, 2016. Notre-Dame des Vents Catholic Port-aux-Français, Kerguelen Islands 1950s
Map
See also
Religion in Antarctica
References