The Portuguese introduced Catholicism to Mukamelay in the 16th century. When the Company took over they substituted Protestantism for Catholicism. A pedestal which had borne the Roman Catholic crucifix remained flanking the church entrance for some time. VOC preachers, Calvinists with an aversion to Roman Catholic symbols, had ordered the cross be removed. The compilers of this database have not as yet come across a source in the literature that identifies this location as a VOC post.
