Garapan and Kristo Rai Church
Prior to World War II, Garapan was a thriving community of over 20,000 residents, including Japanese nationals and local inhabitants. The original Catholic Church, begun by Spanish missionaries in 1876 and completed under German and Japanese administrations, was destroyed during the 1944 Battle of Saipan, leaving only the bell tower. Community efforts in the 1960s–70s led to the construction of a new church, Kristo Rai Church, completed in 1978. Built with steel-reinforced concrete, it accommodates 600 people and continues to serve Garapan as a central place of worship and community gathering.
