Iglesia de San Andrés (Tenerife) Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Church of St. Andrew the Apostle
Iglesia de San Andrés
Religion
Affiliation	Roman Catholic
District	Diocese of San Cristóbal de La Laguna
Province	Archdiocese of Seville
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	parish church
Location
Location	San Andrés, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain.
Architecture
Architectural type	Church
Architectural style	Colonial of the Canary Islands
Groundbreaking	1510
Completed	1680
Direction of façade	East

The Church of St. Andrew the Apostle is a Catholic church located in the village of San Andrés. This village is part of Santa Cruz de Tenerife in the Canary Islands, Spain. It serves as the main church for the local community.

History of the Church
Gallery
See also

History of the Church

Early Beginnings

The history of the Church of St. Andrew the Apostle goes back a long time. Between 1505 and 1510, a man named Don Lope de Salazar built a small chapel. This chapel was built exactly where the church stands today. He placed two important statues inside: one of St. Andrew the Apostle and another of Saint Lucy. The chapel was dedicated to St. Andrew the Apostle.

By 1520, this chapel was known as "Nuestra Señora de Salazar". It was one of the very first Christian buildings on the island of Tenerife. It was built soon after the island was conquered. Records show that a baptism took place in this church in 1619.

Building the Modern Church

The current Church of St. Andrew was built on top of this older chapel. Inside the church, you can find an old wooden statue of St. Andrew the Apostle. His special day is celebrated on November 30th, and he is the patron saint of the area.

Another special statue is a crucified Christ. This statue was made in 1882 from orange wood. It was carved by a local artist who was blind. This carving is known as Santo Cristo del Cegato, which means "Holy Christ of the Blind Man". You can see it near the main altar of the church. The church also has many other religious statues.

Unique Features

One interesting part of the church is an altar dedicated to the souls in purgatory. This is a special place for prayers.

The church tower holds two old bells. The smaller bell is said to have a very interesting past. People believe it once belonged to the fleet of Horatio Nelson. His fleet tried to invade the island on July 25, 1797, but they were not successful.