“This church seems modest,” you might think to yourselves. And indeed, the Iglesia Ermita de Dolores, just north of here, might appear so at first glance. But don’t let its unassuming facade fool you. This church, my friends, holds stories within its walls, whispers of a past more vibrant than you might imagine. The Iglesia Ermita de Dolores wasn’t always the building you see before you. Its history begins around 1820, not with bricks and mortar, but with humble “taquezal,” a traditional Nicaraguan construction of wood and cane. This original structure, a small chapel, was also called an “ermita,” hence the church’s intriguing double name. The man behind this first humble abode of faith was Friar Ramón Rojas de Jesús María, a prolific builder of religious sanctuaries. He didn’t stop at the Iglesia Ermita de Dolores, his devotion echoing in the construction of the Guadalupe and San José hermitages as well. Sadly, that original chapel is gone. But within these walls, housed in the later structure that replaced it, are relics of that era – artistic treasures in the form of a Virgen Dolorosa, San Juan, and a poignant Cristo Encarcelado, a Christ imprisoned. These pieces speak of a faith that persevered, transitioning from simple structures to this house of worship you see today.
San Juan Bautista
Why did Bishop Santiago Abarca feel the need to rebuild the facade of San Juan Bautista in the mid-1800s? We