Published on and written by Cyril Jarnias
Moving to Aruba isn’t just about a change of climate and scenery. It also means entering a society where religion holds a visible place in daily life, while remaining surprisingly tolerant and inclusive. For an expatriate, truly understanding this spiritual landscape helps as much to avoid faux pas as it does to forge genuine connections with the locals.
The island of Aruba, nicknamed “One Happy Island,” has over 100,000 inhabitants and 140 nationalities. Its core value, “un famia” (one family), translates into peaceful coexistence of religions and great openness toward newcomers, whether believers or not.
A Very Christian Religious Landscape… But Truly Plural
In Aruba, the dominant religion is clearly Christianity, and more specifically Catholicism. Figures vary slightly depending on the source, but they converge toward the same observation: about three-quarters of the population – between 75 and just over 80% – identify as Catholic. Protestant groups, broadly defined, account for around 5% of the population, Jehovah’s Witnesses about 1.7%, while other religions (Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Baha’i Faith, various evangelical movements, African or indigenous spiritualities, etc.) share a small percentage (around ten percent). A minority, around 5 to 6%, identifies as having no religion.
Although public holidays are mostly Catholic in inspiration, the island features great religious diversity, including Jewish, Protestant, Evangelical, Anglican, Methodist, Baha’i, and Muslim communities. The Constitution guarantees freedom of religion and there is no state religion.
For an expatriate, this framework is relatively comfortable: there is no reported religious persecution, groups are not required to register (except to benefit from tax advantages), and, most importantly, visitors are expressly welcome in all places of worship.
A History Marked by Catholicism… Without a Monopoly
The Catholic preponderance is explained by history. Aruba was colonized by Spain in the 16th century, a period during which Catholicism was introduced as the dominant religion. Spanish missionaries built the first places of worship, the most iconic being the Alto Vista Chapel, erected in 1750 on the north coast. When the Dutch took control of the island in the 17th century, they brought with them a rather discreet Protestantism: the colonial power left evangelization to specialized missionaries, without seeking to dislodge the Catholic Church.
The rise of the oil industry in the 20th century triggered new waves of migration, attracting populations from Europe, the Caribbean, and Latin America, as well as members of Jewish, Adventist, Methodist, Jehovah’s Witness, and later, Mormon communities. The result is a composite religious landscape where Catholicism, while still the majority, is no longer the only denomination present.
Faith in Daily Life: Holidays, Processions, Music, and Traditions
In Aruba, religion is not confined to churches. It permeates calendars, festivals, and even some social habits.
Major Catholic holidays like Christmas and Easter are experienced intensely. Holy Week, for example, comes with a very Aruban tradition: many families pitch their tents on the beach and camp for the entire Easter week, blending spiritual time, family gatherings, and vacation.
Weight in kilograms of the statue of the Virgin Mary housed in the sanctuary of the Grotto of Lourdes, near San Nicolas.
The Alto Vista Chapel, considered the island’s first church, remains a major place of devotion. Perched on a hill overlooking the sea, accessible by a path lined with crosses representing the Stations of the Cross, it hosts a weekly celebration on Tuesdays at 5:30 PM. Many residents, believers or not, also go up there for a moment of silence, meditation, or simply contemplation.
The Dera Gai festival, celebrated on June 24th, illustrates the cultural syncretism of the Caribbean. It blends Catholic heritage (links to Saint John the Baptist), African influences, and pre-colonial rites. Its central ritual, once materialized by a buried rooster, is now often symbolic. The festival, punctuated by games, dances, and songs in Papiamento, carries themes of fertility, harvest, and purification, stemming from European and Afro-Caribbean traditions.
Even the music reflects this blending. The “tambú,” sometimes nicknamed “the island’s blues,” mixes African drum rhythms, European influences, and songs often carrying social or spiritual messages. The “tumba” has become the official style for Carnival music competitions. During the New Year period, the “dande” tradition involves groups of musicians going from house to house to wish prosperity and blessings, a practice born after the abolition of slavery.
For an expatriate, participating – even simply as a respectful observer – in these moments is one of the best ways to understand how faith, history, and identity are woven together in Aruba.
Where to Pray, Where to Observe: Landmarks for Major Faiths
The density of places of worship is striking for such a small island. Whether you are Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Baha’i, a follower of another faith, or simply curious, there is almost always an accessible place for prayer or meditation, sometimes with services in English.
Catholic Churches: A Tight Network Across the Territory
With over 75% of the faithful, the Catholic Church is present everywhere. In Oranjestad, the largest Catholic church is Saint Francis of Assisi Church (often called San Francisco or Saint Franciscus). Originally built in 1813, it stands opposite the post office, and its daily masses, usually at 7 PM, gather a large congregation, in Papiamento and sometimes in English.
In Noord, Saint Anne (Santa Ana) is another essential parish. The current building dates from the early 20th century, but its history goes back to the late 18th century. The church is notably known for its carved oak altar, the work of a Venezuelan artist, and its more modern architectural style. On Sundays, an English-language mass is celebrated at 11 AM, very convenient for expatriates living in the northern residential areas.
In Aruba, many parishes, such as Immaculate Conception in Santa Cruz or Christ the King in Brazil (San Nicolas), offer masses early in the evening, around 7 PM. This schedule is a local adaptation to the hot climate and the work rhythms of the residents.
Here is a simplified overview of some major Catholic parishes and their usual languages of celebration (as schedules may change, it’s best to check locally):
| Church / Chapel | Location | Features | Common Service Languages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Francis of Assisi (San Francisco) | Oranjestad (downtown) | Largest Catholic church, built in 1813 | Papiamento, English (depending on mass) |
| Saint Anne (Santa Ana) | Noord | Carved wooden altar, Sunday mass in English | Papiamento, English |
| Immaculate Conception | Santa Cruz | Parish in the island’s interior | Papiamento, sometimes Spanish |
| Christ the King (Cristo Rey) | Brazil, San Nicolas | Many evening services | Papiamento |
| Alto Vista Chapel | North coast (Noord) | First chapel, pilgrimage site | Papiamento |
| Grotto of Lourdes | Seroe Preto / San Nicolas | Marian sanctuary in the rock | Papiamento, sometimes Dutch |
For a Catholic expatriate, the multitude of options – sometimes up to several masses a day in the capital – facilitates religious integration. Also noteworthy: a regular Catholic mass is celebrated in a palapa-style space on Palm Beach (Play Linda), illustrating how practice can also blend with a tourist setting.
Protestantism and Historic Churches
Protestant communities, although a numerical minority, occupy a very visible place, notably through the Protestant Church Aruba, a historic Reformed Church whose first congregation dates to 1822. The building known as Kerki 1846 in Oranjestad is now the oldest religious structure still standing on the island. Located a few hundred meters from the cruise terminal, behind the current Renaissance Hotel, it was built in 1846 and is a designated national monument.
The church, whose larger building was inaugurated in 1950, houses a small Bible museum with about 60 rare editions and a Flentrop pipe organ (1982). It is open to visitors Monday through Friday in the morning. A service in English (sometimes bilingual English-Dutch) is held every Sunday at 9 AM or 10:30 AM.
Other Protestant or Anglican traditions are also represented:
| Church / Denomination | Town / Neighborhood | Primary Language of Services | Expatriate Landmark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protestant Church (Kerki 1846 + main church) | Oranjestad (downtown) | Dutch, English | Weekly English-language service, Bible museum |
| Holy Cross Anglican Church | Seroe Preto, San Nicolas | English | Regular services on Sundays and weekdays |
| Wesley Methodist, Christ Church, Beth El (Methodist) | Oranjestad, San Nicolas, Brasil | English | Historic Methodist network, Sunday services |
| Seroe Colorado Community Church | Seroe Colorado | English | Very welcoming non-denominational church |
English-speaking expatriates often find communities ready to integrate them quickly, through Bible studies, coffee after services, choirs, or social outreach.
Evangelical, Adventist, and Pentecostal Movements
Alongside traditional churches, the evangelical movement is very present. Assemblies such as Corporate Impact Ministries, Bible-Way Baptist Church, Evangelical Church in San Nicolas, Faith Revival Center, or the Pentecostal Apostolic Assembly are active in many neighborhoods.
Their common point: very lively services, often in Papiamento with English translation, a strong emphasis on Bible study, prayer, and community support networks. For a believing expatriate seeking a more charismatic or evangelical practice, these are natural options.
Seventh-day Adventists hold their main services on Saturday mornings, as per their tradition. They have several congregations, with worship on Saturdays at 9:15 AM and meetings in the evening on some Sundays and Wednesdays. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) has two branches – in Oranjestad and San Nicolas – with Sunday services in English, and a special effort to provide resources in Papiamento (for example, the translation of the Book of Mormon completed in 1987).
Judaism, Baha’i Faith, Islam: Well-Established Minorities
Despite their small demographic weight, non-Christian religions have very clear structures.
The Jewish community has been established in Aruba since the early 20th century, historically linked to the refinery. The Beth Israel Synagogue, located on Adriaan Lacle Boulevard in Oranjestad, follows Conservative Judaism with balanced participation of men and women. Friday evening services are in English, and it has a small shop for religious items. Furthermore, a Chabad center is also present on the island to provide services for observant Jewish visitors.
The Baha’i Faith has a center at Bucutiweg 19, with an identified local contact, and organizes prayer and reflection gatherings, often very open to non-Baha’is curious to discover this tradition.
The Muslim community, although numerically very small (a few hundred people at most, less than 0.5% of the population), has organized itself within the Aruba Islamic Foundation. This foundation supervised the construction of the island’s first mosque, now functional, where daily prayers, Friday prayers (Jumu’ah), religious classes, religious marriages (nikah), and charitable activities are held. The foundation’s official discourse emphasizes the desire to collaborate with all of Aruban society to promote social peace and harmony.
For an expatriate of these faiths, it is therefore possible to practice within a community framework, while benefiting from the country’s very tolerant context.
Language of Services: The Central Role of Papiamento and the Place of English
Understanding the religious lingua franca of Aruba greatly helps in feeling less lost. On the island, two languages are official: Dutch and Papiamento, a creole language stemming from a mix of Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, African languages, and Arawak. In daily life, Papiamento is overwhelmingly dominant.
Most religious services – Catholic, Protestant, or Evangelical – are held in Papiamento. Historically, this language was consolidated by catechism and Catholic schools, which produced catechisms and hymns in this language as early as the 19th century.
Religious Use of Papiamento
For an expatriate, this is not necessarily an insurmountable obstacle, for several reasons:
English is very widespread in the tourism sector, and many religious communities offer at least one weekly service in this language. Some assemblies organize bilingual Papiamento/English services with simultaneous translation. Dutch and Spanish are also used depending on the communities and congregants.
Mastering a few common phrases in Papiamento is very much appreciated, especially when making contact after a mass or service:
| Expression in Papiamento | French Translation |
|---|---|
| Bon bini | Welcome |
| Bon dia | Good morning |
| Bon tardi | Good afternoon |
| Bon nochi | Good evening / Good night |
| Con ta bai? | How are you? |
| Danki | Thank you |
| Masha danki | Thank you very much |
| Ayo | Goodbye |
Using these few words after a service or at a parish event is often enough to break the ice and show respect for the local culture.
Fitting In Without Faux Pas: Dress Codes, Attitude, and Photography
While Aruba stands out for its tolerance, certain customs remain essential when entering a place of worship or attending a ceremony. They are similar to what is found in many other countries, but the ambient heat and beach context can easily make one forget some basics.
To enter a church, respectful attire is required. Avoid beachwear like swimsuits or tank tops. For men, plan on at least pants or long shorts with a T-shirt or shirt covering the shoulders. For women, it is advisable to avoid clothes that are too short, transparent, or low-cut. It’s also useful to have a scarf or small shawl on hand to cover shoulders or head if a ritual requires it, although this is not mandatory in most parishes.
Attitude, then, matters a lot. Inside, speak softly, avoid phone conversations, and mute your smartphone. If you arrive during a service, try to sit discreetly at the back without disturbing the liturgy. Unless you fully consider yourself a believer in the tradition in question, it is good manners to refrain from participating in the most central sacraments – like Eucharistic communion – and to be content with respectful presence.
The question of photos is more sensitive than it seems. Inside a church, mosque, synagogue, or sanctuary, photography should be considerably limited:
Before taking photos, check the signage on site. Avoid using flash, which can disturb worshippers and damage artworks. Finally, never take a close-up photo of a person in prayer without their explicit consent.
During processions, carnivals, religious or cultural festivals, the rule is the same: priority goes to the participants, not to images. Asking “¿Puedo tomar una foto?” or “Por fabor, por mi a tuma un portret?” (in Papiamento) will always be better received than an intrusive zoom.
Finally, it is recommended to avoid going to a church in the middle of mass just for “architectural tourism”. If the goal is a heritage visit, weekday mornings – often intended for welcoming visitors, like at Kerki 1846 – are preferable. A simple but appreciated gesture is to leave a small donation for the building’s maintenance fund.
The Religious Calendar and Its Very Concrete Effects on Daily Life
Major religious holidays directly influence business opening hours, government offices, and even the pace of neighborhoods. For an expatriate who works or runs a business on the island, it is crucial to take this into account.
Several official public holidays (Good Friday, Easter Monday, Ascension, Christmas over two days, sometimes the day after Christmas) are linked to Christianity. During these periods, many offices close, transportation slows down, and banks reduce their hours. For example, on Good Friday, many stores remain closed and the atmosphere is generally more subdued.
Some non-Christian – or hybrid – holidays also have religious roots. The great Aruban Carnival, which runs from January until Mardi Gras, in a way prepares for the Lenten period for part of the Catholic population, even though the event is now largely cultural and touristic. Carnival Monday is an official day off: it allows for “recovery” after the major parades.
The National Anthem and Flag Day and Betico Croes Day, although civic, incorporate religious elements like songs and prayers, often led by church figures, in reference to the island’s history.
In practice, it is prudent for an expatriate to:
– Check the public holiday calendar before planning business appointments,
– Take into account weeks of high religious activity (Holy Week, Christmas, Carnival period),
– Anticipate reduced hours or temporary closures, especially for small family businesses.
Ancient Spiritualities, Popular Beliefs, and New Practices
Aruba is not solely shaped by the major monotheistic religions. Before the Spanish and Dutch arrivals, the island was inhabited by the Caquetío, an Arawak people whose spirituality was very closely tied to nature, ancestors, and invisible worlds. The spiritual leader, called the diao, wielded both political and religious power, with functions close to those of a shaman.
Part of Aruba’s pre-Columbian beliefs was disrupted by colonization and the deportation of Indians to Hispaniola in the early 16th century. However, traces remain, notably through petroglyphs in the caves of natural parks like Arikok. These pre-colonial drawings bear witness to the island’s ancient rites and cosmogonies.
African contributions – via slavery – also left their marks. Forms of vernacular spirituality, often called brua or brujería, remain in the collective imagination: belief in the evil eye (ojada), use of amulets, protection of children with bracelets made from specific seeds (bonchi hojada), consultations with people known for their healing or divination gifts. These practices do not constitute an organized religion, but a background of beliefs that coexists with Christianity, sometimes in tension, sometimes in synergy.
More recently, Aruba has seen the development of alternative practices like yoga, meditation, wellness retreats, and personal development ceremonies, often organized in hotels or on beaches at sunrise/sunset. At the same time, local Christian initiatives, such as the Aruba Sunrise Ministries Foundation, consider the coastline as “God’s true cathedral” and organize open-air celebrations blending prayer, liturgy, and contemplation of nature.
For an expatriate, this means that the spiritual offering is not limited to parishes: one can seek classic religious accompaniment, more psychological pastoral counseling, secular meditation workshops, or more syncretic wellness experiences.
How Can Expatriates Fit into This Religious Fabric?
The first thing to keep in mind is that most communities view the arrival of new members very positively, whether they are returning Arubans, migrant workers, or expatriates from Europe or North America. With an estimated 15,000 expatriates on the island, churches and religious centers are accustomed to welcoming very diverse profiles.
Several concrete paths exist for integration:
To discreetly integrate into the religious and community life of Aruba, start by attending a service in a community near you (e.g., Santa Ana in Noord, Protestant Church in Oranjestad, Seroe Colorado Community Church, Holy Cross Anglican Church, Beth Israel Synagogue, LDS in Oranjestad). Then, chat with the pastor, priest, or congregants afterward. Inquire about reflection or prayer groups open to newcomers, like evening Bible studies, adult catechism classes, or interfaith discussion groups. Also participate in events not strictly religious: organ concerts at Kerki 1846, parish markets, neighborhood parties organized by foundations with educational or social purposes, or cultural festivals like the Bon Bini Festival near Fort Zoutman or the Carubbian Festival in San Nicolas. Finally, use specialized online resources (like MassTimes or The Catholic Directory) to find mass times and check the languages used.
For those seeking more personalized accompaniment, structures like Aruba Ministries offer spiritual or psychological counseling services, customized ceremonies (baptisms, vow renewals, weddings, funerals) in a Christian or non-denominational setting. The focus is on welcoming people in transition – grief, personal crisis, existential questioning – including among temporary visitors.
The Role of Charitable Works and Spiritually-Based Foundations
Aruba’s social fabric also relies on a large number of foundations, sometimes religiously inspired, that work with children, the elderly, the sick, animals, or vulnerable populations. Even if not all are denominational, many were created or supported by believers and readily recruit volunteers among expatriates.
In Aruba, there are many foundations allowing for concrete civic engagement for expatriates. For example, there are structures for animal protection, support for people with chronic illnesses like Alzheimer’s or disabilities, childcare, help for women victims of violence, or interfaith dialogue organizations. Joining one of these foundations through a parish or community network is an excellent way to combine commitment and local anchoring.
In Summary: A Very Believing, Very Open Island, and Demanding of Respect
Aruba occupies a rather unique space: largely Christian, deeply marked by Catholicism, but without a state religion, without major religious conflict, and with a rare ability to integrate multiple influences – Spanish, Dutch, indigenous, African, Latin American, North American. For an expatriate, this translates to:
Religious practice is visible and assumed, but not imposed. A wide range of places of worship, in several languages, covers most major religious families. It is important to respect the places, people in prayer, and dress codes. Local culture is frequently experienced through festivals, processions, music, and popular practices where the religious and cultural are intertwined.
Understanding these codes, adapting to them with humility, learning a few words of Papiamento, and accepting to observe before judging: this is often the best “religious practice” to adopt upon arriving on “One Happy Island,” whether you are a convinced believer, on a spiritual quest, or simply respectful of your new neighbors’ traditions.
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Cyril Jarnias is an independent expert in international wealth management with over 20 years of experience. As an expatriate himself, he is dedicated to helping individuals and business leaders build, protect, and pass on their wealth with complete peace of mind.
On his website, cyriljarnias.com, he shares his expertise on international real estate, offshore company formation, and expatriation.
Thanks to his expertise, he offers sound advice to optimize his clients' wealth management. Cyril Jarnias is also recognized for his appearances in many prestigious media outlets such as BFM Business, les Français de l’étranger, Le Figaro, Les Echos, and Mieux vivre votre argent, where he shares his knowledge and know-how in wealth management.
