Catholic Church opens its doors after closing for 12 years

After 12 years of closure due to damage caused by various earthquakes, the Temple of Our Lady of Mercy, a historical symbol of the Mexican state of Oaxaca and especially significant for the faithful of the region, has reopened its doors to public worship .

According to a informative gazette of the Cultural Heritage Institute of the State of Oaxaca, the Temple of Our Lady of Mercy, which dates back to the 17th century, has faced various damage throughout its history. Among them, the “San Sixto earthquake”, which shook Mexico in 1787, and the devastating earthquake of 1931.

The temple also suffered the 7.8 magnitude earthquake on March 20, 2012, which caused “severe damage to the vaults” that led to “the building being closed to the public,” according to the authorities.

Subsequently, the 8.2 magnitude earthquake of September 7, 2017, with its epicenter in the Gulf of Tehuantepec, “the largest earthquake in almost a hundred years in Mexico”, along with another earthquake that occurred on September 9, which was also felt strongly, seriously impacted the center and southeast of the country. Both events, the gazette notes, “increased property damage,” leaving the temple in a critical condition.

Its reinforced concrete dome, installed in 1930, was severely damaged. The great weight of the dome—about 500 tons—caused further damage to the structure and made it impossible to carry out reconstruction work until it was removed.

In an interview with ACI Prensa this November 22, Father Armando Fabián Vicente, in charge of the temple, explained that “the community contributed funds” to be able to remove the dome and allow the authorities to intervene. However, he noted that “there was not even a quarter of the cost necessary,” so that project was abandoned.

It would not be until the end of 2023 that the Mexican authorities allocated the necessary resources for the work, which resulted in an investment of more than 31 million pesos (more than 1.5 million dollars), according to information of the state government.

“Symbol of religious identity”

Father Armando Fabián Vicente highlighted the relevance of the building not only as a “historical monument” but also as a “symbol of religious identity” for the Oaxacan community. “This temple houses many stories of faith, family, personal and happiness,” said the priest.

“The temple represents our identity as Catholics and Oaxacans, because it allows us to recognize our roots, our culture” and with this, he assured “we also promote unity,” in addition to seeking “peace, we seek agreements.”

The Mexican priest expressed his desire that Catholics who had distanced themselves from the Church could “come closer and once again have this experience of communion, of being with God.” He also highlighted that “there is a lot of joy, a lot of pleasure” in receiving religious groups that can in the renovated church, which will also be open to the arrival of tourists from all over the world.