Suyapa basilica

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Suyapa basilica

The Basilica of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Suyapa ( Spanish Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Suyapa ) on the outskirts of the Honduran capital Tegucigalpa is the largest church in the country. It is dedicated to the Virgin of Suyapa and has the title of a minor basilica .

Virgin of Suyapa

In 1747 the statue of the Virgin of Suyapa was found by Alejandro Colindres. The 6 centimeter tall image was first venerated in a hermitage that was erected in the village of Suyapa, built in 1780 and now part of Tegucigalpa. In 1925 the Virgin of Suyapa was founded by Pope Pius XII. declared the patroness of Honduras with the public holiday of February 3rd. She was also appointed head of the army in 1969.

History of the basilica

In 1943, the Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese of Tegucigalpa , Bishop Emilio Morales Roque, decided to build a new church for the Virgin of Suyapa near the existing chapel. The Zuñiga-Inestroza family donated the land for the project, after which construction began in 1954. The third Archbishop of Tegucigalpa, Bishop José de la Cruz Turcios y Barahona , laid the foundation stone for one of the largest sacred buildings in Central America. A few years later, when the first phase of construction was completed, the statue was moved to this new prayer center. On March 8, 1983, Pope John Paul II celebrated a mass in front of the altarpiece of the patron saint of the Honduras on his only visit to Honduras. In 2005, the national shrine of Suyapa and the surrounding grounds were officially consecrated. On September 9, 2015, Pope Francis elevated the church to a minor basilica .

Architecture of the basilica

The style of the Basilica of Suyapa is modern and painted in white in its entirety. The floor plan is a Latin cross . The dimensions are 93 meters long, 43 meters high in its towers and 46 meters in the dome with a diameter of 11.50 meters above a drum . The width of the central nave is 13.50 meters. The size of the church is used to accommodate pilgrims to Suyapa. The facade shows three main doors which are flanked on the sides by two bell towers. The main altar is the work of the Valencian artist Francisco Hurtado-Soto and is located below the dome. The large leaded glass windows show, among other things, the Assumption of the Virgin of Suyapa.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Suyapa on gcatholic.org
  2. ↑ Celebration of the 262nd anniversary of the discovery of the Blessed Virgin of Suyapa, the patroness of Honduras, with the message “Mary, listening to the word” on fides.org
  3. ↑ Basílica de Suyapa on lonely planet

Coordinates: 14 ° 4 ′ 49.7 "  N , 87 ° 9 ′ 27.5"  W.