CHURCH SERIES: IGLESIA DE NUESTRA SEÑORA DE LA MERCED

Nuetra Señora de la Merced, Our Lady of Ransom, Mary of Mercy, is celebrated september 24th. That day we went as a family to this museum/church in Zone one to finish the Novena we had been following.

The construction of the church of Nuestra Señora de la Merced started in 1780 and was blessed in 1813.

It´s Neoclasical design hosts inside 300 paintings, 17 retables barroc style and about 80 images one of the main ones being the image of Nuestra Señora de la Merced. A lot of them were before in the Church of La Merced  at Antigua Guatemala.

We walked in an I took this first picture. 

I hadn´t realized then that the main altar was a backdrop printed on vinyl...

Then I remember some news I had  read weeks ago about the US government donating $95,000.00 for the restoration of this church. So I guess the restoration is in progress. The backdrop idea I thought was brilliant and explains why the image of our Lady of Ransom is both at the altar and at the top of the retable were it belongs!

A former Rotarian from my club Arquitect Eduardo Andrade Abularach (a brilliant Curator of Architectural Heritage, studied in Rome, current University Professor, contributor to the book Contemplaciones, etc) has been involved in various restorations in Guatemala, and during the time I befriended him he was in charge of the nativity scene of this Church (famous for its beauty and taste). I wonder if he is involved in this restoration?

The picture below is the exterior of the church but it was taken during Holy Week thus the crowds. Here is a picture of the dome.