Cathedral of Chihuahua Facts for Kids

Facade of the cathedral

South Transept and Blessed Sacrament Chapel.

The Metropolitan Cathedral of Chihuahua is the main Catholic church in Chihuahua City, Chihuahua, Mexico. Many people think it's the best example of old Spanish-style buildings in northern Mexico. It was built a long time ago, between 1725 and 1792. This cathedral is also where the main archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chihuahua works.

Exploring the Cathedral's Design
History of the Cathedral
Images for kids
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Exploring the Cathedral's Design

The cathedral stands in the Plaza de Armas, which is a main square. Its design is in the Baroque style, which was popular in Spain. The church is shaped like a latin cross, and it has a beautiful dome right in the middle.

Outside the Cathedral

The front of the cathedral, called the façade, is very special. It has unique twisted columns called solomonic columns, which weren't often used in Mexico back then. There's also an eight-sided window that came all the way from Germany. It's a great example of amazing glass art.

Above the main entrance, you can see statues of the twelve apostles. There's a clock above them, topped with a sculpture of an angel. This angel was added in the 1800s. Originally, the Spanish royal coat of arms was below the angel, but it was removed in 1874. That's when the clock, which came from London, was put in its place, giving the front of the cathedral its look today.

Inside the Cathedral

When you go inside, the main area, called the nave, has arches that separate it from the side walkways. These arches hold up the huge ceiling. On the right side, near the entrance, there's a lovely baptistry chapel.

Across from the baptistry, on the left side, is the Chapel of Christ of Mapimí. Here, you'll find the tomb of St Peter of Jesus Maldonado. He was a priest and a martyr who was made a saint by Pope John Paul II in 2000. This chapel has an 18th-century retablo, which is a decorated screen behind the altar. It shows a respected image of Christ, mixing simple and fancy art styles.

The area near the main altar has a special double altar. A smaller altar made of Carrara marble was added to the larger one, which was made from local stone. In the east gallery, there's a large organ that was built in 1885. It has been updated over the years.

Special Chapels and Museum

The Blessed Sacrament Chapel is a beautiful room with fancy baroque and rococo designs. You can reach it through a door on the left side of the nave. Above its entrance, there's a sculpture showing Our Lady of Regla with her followers, Ss Francis of Assisi and Rita of Cascia. These are the patron saints of the city. Below them, you can see the Hebrews Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the fiery furnace.

The Sacred Art Museum is located in the basement of the cathedral. It's next to the tombs of past archbishops. The museum has many old paintings by famous artists from the Colonial era, like Miguel Cabrera. You can also see pictures of Pope John Paul II and the archbishops of Chihuahua. The special throne that the Pope used during his visit to Chihuahua in 1990 is also on display. There are also large, old statues of saints, some of which are two centuries old.

History of the Cathedral

The land for the first church was given by Don Juan Antonio Trasviña y Retes, an important Spanish citizen. This is where the cathedral stands today.

The first stone of the church was placed on June 21, 1725. The church was paid for by donations from local businesses and mine owners. A small tax of one real was also collected on every mark of silver mined in the area.

Many people worked on building the cathedral over the years. Pedro Coronado was the first construction superintendent. Later, Master Architect José de la Cruz finalized the plans. The towers began to be built in 1758. The bells for the towers were made in 1730 and were finally placed in 1780.

The construction of the church was finished in 1792. The building was slightly damaged during the French intervention in Mexico but was repaired. It officially became a cathedral on June 23, 1891. At that time, the new diocese was in charge of all Catholic people in the entire state. Chihuahua became an archdiocese on November 22, 1958. This means it is now the main archdiocese for five other dioceses in Chihuahua state.

In 1910, the cathedral was lit up to celebrate 100 years of Independence of Mexico. It wasn't until 2005 that the cathedral was lit up permanently. In October 2008, a special light show took place at the cathedral to celebrate the upcoming 300th birthday of Chihuahua City.