The cornerstone of Iglesia Jesucristo es el Señor was laid on December 8 1888. But its story began much earlier. This wasn’t the first church on this very spot.
Imagine Granada in 1856. Filibuster William Walker’s forces attacked. The magnificent parish church a mid-17th-century structure was destroyed. Its towers crumbled. The interior burned. A devastating blow to the city’s heart.
For three decades the community mourned the loss. They dreamed of rebuilding. Then finally in 1888 hope was reborn. The first stone of a new church was laid. This new church would become Iglesia Jesucristo es el Señor.
The construction was a slow process. Several priests and bishops oversaw it. Colombian Jesuit Nicolás Cáceres and Italian architect Andrés Zapata designed it. Materials came from nearby Cerro Posintepe. Stone and concrete blocks were used.
In 1916 an iron frame for the dome arrived. It was a modest replica of the one on St Peter’s Basilica in Rome. It was a significant undertaking. The frame was hauled by oxen all the way from San Juan del Sur.
The facade is stunning. It has a neoclassical style. Two towers flank the entrance. San Carlos is on the left. San Canuto is on the right. The towers each have three sections topped with cupolas and lanterns.
Twelve Ionic columns mark the main entrance. Four stand in the foreground. Eight stand behind. Niches hold statues. One is of Rafael Villavicencio. He saved the host from the 1856 fire. The other is of Granadan Blessed María Romero.
The church has four chapels. One is dedicated to the Blessed Sacrament. Inside rests the “Jesus of Good Hope”. A monumental basalt cross stands in the northeast corner of the side atrium. It was built by Carlos Ferrey and inaugurated in 1900.
Iglesia Jesucristo es el Señor is more than a building. It is a testament to faith resilience and the enduring spirit of Granada. It stands as a symbol of hope. A beacon of faith. A reminder that even after destruction beauty can be reborn. And that is a truly remarkable story.