Glass
Silence ♡
Catedral Metropolitana de Fortaleza
Two pointed spires above the centre. The first stone was laid in 1939 and the cathedral was inaugurated on 22 December 1978. Closed on Mondays.
- 📍AddressPraça da Sé, Centro
- ✝️MassSun 9, 11, 17, 19 · Tue–Sat 12
- 🏗️Inaugurated22 December 1978
- 🚫MondayClosed
Our own visit: This page only contains checked facts. After our own visit we will add what we saw ourselves, with our own photos.
Almost forty years in the making
The old cathedral was pulled down on 11 September 1938. The first stone of the new one was laid on 15 August 1939, and the Catedral Metropolitana was inaugurated on 22 December 1978. The crypt dates from 1962. Building it took almost forty years.
Its style is described as Gothic-Romanesque. Inside, the stained-glass windows stand out, and the altar came from Italy. It is a working church, not a museum, so come outside Mass times if you want to look around in peace.
✅ Good for
- Architecture and stained glass
- A short stop between the fort and the theatre
- Anyone who wants to attend Mass
⚠️ Less good for
- Mondays: the church is closed
- Looking around during Mass
- Fixed visiting hours: none are published
Everything for your visit
Opening times
Mass: Sunday 9, 11, 17 and 19; Tuesday to Friday 12; Saturday 12 in the crypt. Closed on Mondays. Confession: Tuesday to Friday 10:30–11:50, Saturday 9–12, Sunday 8–11. No separate visiting hours are given.
✅ Official source: Arquidiocese de Fortaleza: Paróquia São José (Catedral) · read 14-10-2026Entry and prices
No entry fee is mentioned.
ℹ️ Not mentioned by the source: Arquidiocese de Fortaleza: Paróquia São José (Catedral) · read 14-10-2026Tours and programme
No tours are mentioned. Parish office: Monday to Friday 8–12 and 13–17, Saturday 8–12, phone (85) 3231-4196.
ℹ️ Not mentioned by the source: Arquidiocese de Fortaleza: Paróquia São José (Catedral) · read 14-10-2026Getting there
In the centre. The fort is a 4-minute walk (290 m) and Dragão do Mar 12 minutes. From the Beira-Mar in Meireles it is 4.9 km by road.
🧭 Calculated with OpenStreetMap: OpenStreetMap routingAccessibility
The official page says nothing about wheelchair access.
ℹ️ Not mentioned by the source: Arquidiocese de Fortaleza: Paróquia São José (Catedral) · read 14-10-2026Good to know
This is a working church: keep your voice down and do not walk around during Mass. Closed on Mondays.
✅ Official source: Arquidiocese de Fortaleza: Paróquia São José (Catedral) · read 14-10-2026🗓️ Open by day
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ⛪ Catedral Metropolitana | – | 12:00 ✝ | 12:00 ✝ | 12:00 ✝ | 12:00 ✝ | 12:00 ✝ | 9 · 11 · 17 · 19 ✝ |
A church from another century
The old church had to go
The old cathedral was demolished on 11 September 1938. The square is still called Praça da Sé.
Light through coloured glass
The stained-glass windows are the best-known part of the interior.
A crypt from 1962
The Saturday 12:00 Mass is held in the crypt, which was finished in 1962, sixteen years before the inauguration.
Other places from here
Walking times and distances from OpenStreetMap (14-10-2026). More than 20 minutes on foot? Then we give the road distance for a taxi or Uber.
🚶 4 min walk · 288 m🏰 Fort Nossa Senhora da Assunção
The city began here, at a fort the Dutch built as Schoonenborch. Today it is an army headquarters. Visits are free, by appointment only.
See this place →
🚶 12 min walk · 914 m🎭 Dragão do Mar
Two museums, a cinema, a theatre and open squares on one site, linked by a red footbridge. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00 to 21:00.
See this place →
🚶 16 min walk · 1.2 km🎻 Theatro José de Alencar
A theatre from 1910 with ironwork from Glasgow and a garden by Burle Marx. Guided tours Tuesday to Saturday, free on the 17th of every month.
See this place →
🚕 4.8 km by taxi or Uber📷 Museu da Fotografia
A free museum full of photographs, open since 2017. On now: Fotofantasma and Territórios de si. With ramps, lifts and adapted toilets.
See this place →Food, neighbourhood and beach
Questions about Catedral Metropolitana
When was the Metropolitan Cathedral built?
The first stone was laid on 15 August 1939 and the cathedral was inaugurated on 22 December 1978 (Archdiocese of Fortaleza).
What are the Mass times?
Sunday at 9, 11, 17 and 19; Tuesday to Friday at 12; Saturday at 12 in the crypt. The church is closed on Mondays (Archdiocese, read 14-10-2026).
What is nearby?
The fort is a 4-minute walk, Dragão do Mar 12 minutes and Theatro José de Alencar 16 minutes.
Sources: Arquidiocese de Fortaleza: Paróquia São José (Catedral) · Melhores Destinos: Catedral Metropolitana de Fortaleza · OpenStreetMap routing
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