Iglesia de San Pío X (Todoque) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Church of Saint Pius X
Iglesia de San Pío X
The church in 2020
General information
Status	Church
Location	Todoque, Los Llanos de Aridane
Country	Spain
Coordinates	28°37′09″N 17°54′18″W / 28.61917°N 17.90500°W / 28.61917; -17.90500
Inaugurated	30 May 1954
Destroyed	26 September 2021

The Church of Saint Pius X (Spanish: Iglesia de San Pío X) was a Catholic church. It was located in Todoque, a town on La Palma island in Spain. The church was built in 1954. Sadly, it was destroyed by the 2021 Cumbre Vieja volcanic eruption. This church was special because it was the very first one in the world named after Pope Pius X.

About the Church

Outside the Church

The church was built by the people of Todoque after a war. They built it on land given by a local person. The outside of the church looked simple. It followed a popular style from the Canary Islands. It also had some Mudejar style, which is a mix of Christian and Islamic art.

The front wall was made of brick. It had a small part that stuck out, shaped a bit like a trapezoid. The main door was a round arch. Above the door was a simple rose window. There was also a porch with a slanted roof. This roof was made of Arabic tiles. It was held up by four rectangular columns. These columns had strong bases and simple tops.

The church roof was pointed, like a triangle. It had strong supports and closed windows. To the left of the main entrance was the bell tower. It was square-shaped and had two parts. It had a balcony and a clock. The top of the tower was a cone shape with eight sides. A cross sat on top of it.

Near the entrance, there was a small sign. It said:

This means: First church in the Catholic world dedicated to the Great Pope of the Eucharist, Pius X. May 30, 1954. Todoque, August 19, 1984.

Inside the Church

The inside of the church was a long rectangle. It had one main room. The floor had a checkerboard pattern. The ceiling was made of wood. The inside was quite simple.

The main part of the church was called the main chapel. It had a special decorated screen called an altarpiece. This chapel was also rectangular. It was behind a round arch. This arch was held up by decorated columns.

The altarpiece was made of wood. It was painted in many colors and looked like marble. It had three main sections. The middle section had a curved arch. It held a carving of Jesus on the cross. The side sections were half the size of the middle one. They held a carving of the Virgin Mary on the left. On the right, there was a larger image of Pope Pius X.

Above the side sections, there were decorated bands. These showed the symbols of the Virgin Mary and Pope Pius X. The very top of the altarpiece was shaped like a triangle. It showed paintings of God the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit as a dove. This showed the Holy Trinity.

Destruction of the Church

On September 19, 2021, a volcano started erupting. It was in a pine forest called Cabeza de Vaca. The church was soon inside the danger zone. Sixteen hours later, three lava flows started. They were about six meters high.

By 2:00 PM on September 21, the main lava flow reached Todoque. It was moving at about 120 meters per hour. People quickly removed many items from the church. They saved images, paintings, and other religious objects. However, the large altarpiece could not be moved. It was destroyed along with the church benches.

The lava slowed down for a while. Then it sped up again to about 100 meters per hour. It passed the Todoque neighborhood. It flowed about 150 meters west of the town center.

At 5:55 PM on September 26, the church's bell tower collapsed. It fell because of the lava. This sad event was shown live on TV. Many people also recorded it with their cameras.

See also

In Spanish: Iglesia de San Pío X (Todoque) para niños