Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple Wiki
Quick Facts
ANNOUNCED
5 April 2015
ANNOUNCED BY
President Thomas S. Monson
GROUNDBREAKING
28 October 2017
GROUNDBREAKING PRESIDED BY
Elder Walter F. González
DEDICATED
1 September 2019
DEDICATED BY
Elder David A. Bednar
DEDICATION ORDER
165
LOCATION
Route de Frères
Frères 23
Impasse Saint-Marc # 20 & 22
HT Petion-Ville
Haiti
PHONE
(+509) 2262-5810
Description
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History
The first Haitian convert inquired about the Church in 1977. In August 1980, the Haitian government gave official recognition to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and two months later, the first branch of the Church was established in Port-au-Prince. The Haiti Port-au-Prince Mission was organized on 1 August 1984.
Announcement
President Thomas S. Monson announced the construction of the Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple at the Sunday Morning Session of the 185th Annual General Conference on April 5, 2015. Haiti was home to approximately 10 million people including more than 19,000 members of the Church who belonged to the Santo Domingo Dominican Republic Temple district, requiring nearly a day’s journey.[1]”New Temples Announced: Abidjan, Ivory Coast (Côte d’Ivoire); Port Au Prince, Haiti; Bangkok, Thailand,” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints News Release, 5 Apr. 2015.
ANNOUNCED ORDER
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| Date | 2015 04 05 |
| By | Thomas S. Monson |
| Role | President |
| Via | General Conference |
⮜Preceded by Abidjan Ivory Coast
Followed by Bangkok Thailand⮞
Announced 2015 04 05
Location Announcement [Site Selection]
At a stake conference held in Port-au-Prince on Sunday, March 12, 2017, Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles announced that the Church had acquired the property behind the meetinghouse on Route de Frères for construction of the Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple.
Render Released
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Groundbreaking Announced
On 14 July 2017 the First Presidency has announced that the Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple groundbreaking will be on Saturday, Oct. 28, 2017.
The groundbreaking ceremony will be under the direction of Elder Walter F. González, General Authority Seventy and president of the Caribbean Area.
Attendance at the site will be by invitation. It is anticipated that the services will be transmitted via internet to Church meetinghouses within the proposed temple district.[2]Church News Archives. “Groundbreaking Date Announced for Haiti’s First Temple.” Church News, 11 Jan. 2024, www.thechurchnews.com/2017/7/14/23221942/groundbreaking-date-announced-for-haitis-first-temple.
Groundbreaking
Elder Walter F. González of the Seventy and president of the Caribbean Area presided at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple on Saturday, October 28, 2017. He said of the groundbreaking, “I can only think about everlasting joy and gratitude for all that the temple means in our lives. It is hard to express with words. This was a day of joy and gratitude when we start to build a portal to heaven as we come to better understand the importance of the covenants made in the temple and how they impact our daily lives, both in this time and eternity.”[3]Marianne Holman Prescott, “Groundbreaking Held for Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple,” Church News, 2 Nov. 2017.
GROUNDBREAKING ORDER
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| Date | 2017 10 28 |
| By | Walter F. Gonzalez |
| Role | Seventy |
| Attendees | ## |
⮜Preceded by Arequipa Peru
Followed by Abidjan Ivory Coast⮞
Open House/Dedication Announced
The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced dates for the open house, youth devotional and dedication for the Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple on 14 November 2018. The free public open house for the Haiti Temple will begin Saturday, April 20, and go through Saturday, May 4, 2019, except for the Sundays of April 21 and 28.
A youth devotional will be held Saturday, 18 May and broadcast to meetinghouses within the temple district. The temple will be dedicated the next day on Sunday, 19 May in three sessions, 9:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. Additional details about the dedication will be released later.
Open House/Dedication Rescheduled
On 23 January 2019 the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced rescheduled dates for the open house, youth devotional and dedication for the Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple. The free public open house for the Haiti Temple will begin Saturday, 3 August and go through Saturday, 17 August 2019, except for the Sundays of August 4 and 11.
A youth devotional will be held Saturday, 31 August and broadcast to meetinghouses within the temple district. The temple will be dedicated the next day on Sunday, 1 September in three sessions, 9:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. Additional details about the dedication will be released later.[4]“Haiti Temple Open House and Dedication.” news-bz.churchofjesuschrist.org, 23 Jan. 2019, news-bz.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/public-open-house-and-dedication-dates-announced-for-the-haiti-temple.
Open House
Prior to the open house, a press conference was held on 6 August 2019. Information about the temple and its significance was communicated to national and international media. The following day, invited civic and community leaders toured the interior of the temple and asked questions.
The public open house for the Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple began Thursday, 8 August 2019, and continued through Saturday, 17 August 2019.
| Start Date | 2019 08 08 |
| End Date | 2019 08 17 |
| Days | 7 |
| Attendees | # |
| Per day | A/D |
Youth Devotional
On the evening prior to the dedication of the Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple, Elder David A. and Sister Susan Bednar met with Haitian youth at a devotional where they answered questions and encouraged the young men and women to prepare to enter the temple and to submit names for temple ordinance work. “Jesus Christ is the Savior of all the people who have lived on earth,” said Elder Bednar. “Any young man or woman in this Church can explain how someone who has died can receive the gospel of Jesus Christ and the ordinances of the gospel that are performed in the temple.”
Dedication
The Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple was dedicated by Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on Sept. 1, 2019. As he stepped out of the temple, a choir of Haitian Church members, excited for the first house of the Lord to be built in their country, sang “The Morning Breaks” in French.
“You sang that magnificently,” said the Apostle, then he offered a minor change in the first verse’s lyrics: “The dawning of a brighter day / Majestic rises on the world” was updated to “The dawning of a brighter day / Majestic rises on Haiti.”
Elder Bednar was joined at the three dedicatory sessions by several other general authorities of the Church, including Elder Kevin R. Duncan, a General Authority Seventy and executive director of the Temple Department; and members of the Caribbean Area presidency — Elder Jose L. Alonso, Elder Eduardo Gavarret and Elder Jorge M. Alvarado.
For decades, Latter-day Saints in Haiti had had no choice but to travel to the neighboring Dominican Republic or other areas to claim temple blessings. Many people there endure economic challenges — and paying for passports, transportation and other costs had been almost impossible for many.[5]Swensen, Jason. “Haiti Temple Dedication Marks the Beginning of a ‘Remarkable’ Future for the Country.” Church News, 11 Jan. 2024, www.thechurchnews.com/2019/9/1/23215410/haiti-temple-dedication-elder-david-a-bednar.
DEDICATION ORDER
165
| Date | 2019 09 01 |
| By | David A. Bednar |
| Role | Apostle |
| Sessions | 3 |
| Attendees | # |
⮜Preceded by Fortaleza Brazil
Followed by Lisbon Portugal⮞
Dedicatory Prayer
Construction Duration
| Span | Duration |
|---|---|
| Announced to Groundbreaking | 2 y, 6 m, 23 d |
| Groundbreaking to Dedication | 1 y, 10 m, 4 d |
| Announced to Dedication | 4 y, 4 m, 26 d |
Dedicatory Order
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Summary
The Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple was the first temple built in the country of Haiti and the second built in the Caribbean islands, following the Santo Domingo Dominican Republic Temple (2000).
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Groundbreaking Announced
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Announced
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Dedication Announced
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Under Construction
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Rededication Announced
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Under Renovation
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Renovation Scheduled
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Presidents and Matrons
| Temple President | Temple Matron | Years Served |
|---|---|---|
| Hubermann Bien Aimé | Maggy Léger Bien Aimé | 2023– |
| Fritzner Andre Joseph | Marie-Gina Michel Joseph | 2019-2023 |
Details
Location
The beautiful Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple stands behind the Route de Frères meetinghouse in the Pétion-Ville suburb east of Port-au-Prince. An arrival center is available on the north end of the meetinghouse with bathrooms, showers, lockers, dining tables, and a waiting room. The temple president’s residence is on site along with an ancillary building that houses a distribution center and maintenance equipment.
Site
Exterior
Cladding
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Water Course
Windows
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Spandrel panel
Exterior Finish
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Architectural Features
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| Feet | Meters | |
|---|---|---|
| Height | # | # |
| To Shoulder | # | # |
| Width | # | # |
| Length | # | # |
| Footprint | # | # |
| Heading | Calc |
Symbolism
Inscription
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| Order | |
| Location | |
| Language | |
| Type | |
| Color | |
| Setting | |
| Font | |
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| Church Name | |
| Temple Name | |
| Dates |
Cornerstone
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| Location | |
| Faces | |
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| Set | |
| Edge | |
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Spires and Finial
Spires
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Spire Details
| Spires | # |
| Location | # |
| Finish | # |
| Type | dome, steeple, tower, spire |
| shape | # |
| Tower shape |
Finial
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Finial Details
| Material | # |
| Placed | # |
| Finish | # |
| Height | # |
| Weight | # |
Interior
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Entry
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| Area | – f2 (- m2) |
| Floors above grade | |
| Floors below Grade | |
| Baptistries | |
| Initiatories | |
| Endowment Rooms | |
| Sealing Rooms |
Baptistry
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| Location: | – |
| Exterior Windows: | – |
| Artwork: | – |
| Artwork Type: | – |
| Oxen: | – |
| Type: | – |
| Hoof: | – |
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Initiatory Spaces
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| Style | detached, attached, combined |
| Type | stationary, progressive |
| Rooms | # |
Instruction Rooms
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| Rooms | # |
| Type | # |
| Capacity | # |
| Murals | y/n |
| Total Muraled Rooms | # |
| Mural Type |
Celestial Room
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Sealing Room
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| Sealing Rooms | |
| Largest Capacity |
Contractors
Architect
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Projects by Architect
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General Contractor
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Other Contractor
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Region
TEMPLES IN UTAH by county
| Box Elder | 1 | Brigham City |
| Cache | 2 | Logan · Smithfield |
| Carbon | 1 | Price |
| Davis | 3 | Bountiful · Layton · Syracuse |
| Iron | 1 | Cedar City |
| Salt Lake | 6 | Draper · Jordan River · Oquirrh Mountain · Salt Lake · Taylorsville · West Jordan |
| San Juan | 1 | Monticello |
| Sanpete | 2 | Ephraim · Manti |
| Tooele | 1 | Deseret Peak |
| Uintah | 1 | Vernal |
| Utah | 9 | Lehi · Lindon · Mount Timpanogos · Orem · Payson · Provo Rock Canyon · Provo City Center · Saratoga Springs · Spanish Fork |
| Wasatch | 1 | Heber Valley |
| Washington | 2 | Red Cliffs · St. George |
| Weber | 1 | Ogden |
Total: 32
Sources and Citations
References
| ↑1 | ”New Temples Announced: Abidjan, Ivory Coast (Côte d’Ivoire); Port Au Prince, Haiti; Bangkok, Thailand,” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints News Release, 5 Apr. 2015. |
|---|---|
| ↑2 | Church News Archives. “Groundbreaking Date Announced for Haiti’s First Temple.” Church News, 11 Jan. 2024, www.thechurchnews.com/2017/7/14/23221942/groundbreaking-date-announced-for-haitis-first-temple. |
| ↑3 | Marianne Holman Prescott, “Groundbreaking Held for Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple,” Church News, 2 Nov. 2017. |
| ↑4 | “Haiti Temple Open House and Dedication.” news-bz.churchofjesuschrist.org, 23 Jan. 2019, news-bz.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/public-open-house-and-dedication-dates-announced-for-the-haiti-temple. |
| ↑5 | Swensen, Jason. “Haiti Temple Dedication Marks the Beginning of a ‘Remarkable’ Future for the Country.” Church News, 11 Jan. 2024, www.thechurchnews.com/2019/9/1/23215410/haiti-temple-dedication-elder-david-a-bednar. |
Last updated on: 9 September 2025