The Catholic Church in Honduras will carry out a fundraising marathon for the restoration of the historic temple of La Merced, located in the department of Choluteca, whose bell tower and part of the structure collapsed due to heavy rains.
In September, rainfall mainly affected the southern part of Honduras, causing river flooding in the departments of Choluteca, Valle and El Paraíso. These floods and landslides caused serious damage to various buildings.
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#TeLoCuento: Floods, destroyed churches and isolated communities are recorded in the departments of Choluteca, Valle and El Paraíso, due to the intense rains that have affected southern Honduras in recent hours.
In the community of El Cubulero in Alianza, Valle, the… pic.twitter.com/VwqH6W2nxB
— Hondudiario.com (@hondudiario) September 24, 2024
José Luis Gonzales, a member of the Cathedral Parish of the Immaculate Conception of Choluteca, to which La Merced belongs, explained to ACI Prensa that, on the night of September 27, a water leak “caused the entire structure to collapse.” , damaging “the bell tower and part of the roof in the upper left section of the temple façade.”
La Merced is the first temple built in Choluteca, in 1522, by Mercedarian priests. Although it currently no longer has parish functions, Gonzales stressed that its importance lies in the fact that “it is part of the historical, cultural and religious heritage of Honduras,” and therefore, it must be preserved.
The collaborator indicated that, before the incident, the temple had resumed its pastoral activity as part of the Cathedral, serving as a meeting place for movements and as a catechesis space for children and young people who were preparing for the Eucharist and Confirmation.
Gonzales indicated that La Merced, 15 days after the collapse, is “completely closed.” However, he expressed concern that, if measures are not taken soon, “as the days go by, the temple could give way, although the majority of its structure is in good condition.”
On the other hand, he assured that “there is no support from local authorities so far.” However, he mentioned that consultations are being held with the Honduran Institute of Anthropology and History (IHAH), the government entity in charge of protecting, conserving and promoting the country’s cultural, historical and religious heritage.
Mons. Teodoro Gómez, Bishop of Choluteca, leads the marathon initiative titled “All for Mercy” and other fundraising activities.
The event will take place on Saturday, October 19 in Choluteca, where volunteers will tour the town with empty “bottles” to receive donations.
Additionally, contributions can be made at:
Bank account: 2020372890
In the name of the Catholic Church Parish Cathedral
Atlantida Bank.
Diego López Colin
I am a graduate of Journalism at the Carlos Septién García School with experience in religious institutional communication. Since 2016 I have been writing for digital media and, since 2018, I have reported the most important news about Catholic events in Mexico for the EWTN news channel. ACI Prensa correspondent in Mexico since 2023.