Since 1709, the site where the Cathedral of Our Lady of Good Voyage is now located has been occupied by Catholic buildings. In colonial times, the "king's building" was destroyed for the construction of Belo Horizonte. Later on, a chapel with adobe walls was built in that location, which was replaced years later by a larger structure known as the Good Voyage church. On December 12, 1897, the Good Voyage church was destroyed.
Construction on the current church began in 1913, with the church built in the neo-Gothic style. On February 11, 1921, before the work was finished, the church was selected as the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Belo Horizonte. The church was officially inaugurated in 1923.[4]
The church was consecrated to Our Lady of Good Voyage, the patron saint of Portuguese navigators. A statue of this saint was brought along by the establisher of the original church across the Atlantic, and has continued to be maintained over the years. The statue resides at the right side corner of the cathedral's altar and measures a little more than half a meter. Nowadays the church is kept and administered by the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament.[4]
