Catholic Church San German de Auxerre

(Photo courtesy of Juan D. Torres Ramos)

 

    Between 1570 and 1573, the people from San German, the Peregrim Village (Villa Peregrina) decided to establish themselves in the hills of Santa Maria.  According to the those time customs, the first building to be built were the Parrish Church, the Cabildo and the small Hospital Clinic around the pricipal plaza of the town.

   
    The Catholic Church of San German de Auxerre was built more than 427 years ago in honor to King Fernando's "The Catholic" second wife named Doņa Germana de Foix.  The original construction was rustic with the roof made out of straw.  The Church was kept like that for many years until it cave in due to hurracanes and earthquakes.  One important note is that this Church have always being at the same location.  The modern structure of the Church was built in 1688 and reconstructed after the earthquake of 1737.   At the beginning was attended  from the beginning by the Diocesanos Priests, being the first priest of the Church Father Arrevalo.  Later in 1896 the Church was attended by the Agustinos Priests and in 1991 returned to the Diocesanos Priests.
 

    The construction of the Church is neoclassic style.  Have three domes, ten altars, one portico, two Chapels, one chancel and one tower with the belfry.  Inside of the Church we find an unumbered amount of antiques.  You can enter thru an ample port and see on each side of the port the Chapels of the Saint Christ (Santo Cristo) at the left and the Chapel of Baptisterio at the right.  Inside the Chapels you must see the sculpture of the Cruxified Christ, the Nazarero and the Virgin Dolorasa which are the oldest pieces at the Church in conjuction with the Holly Sepulcher (Santo Sepulcro).  One of the altar iside the Chapels rinde honor to the Resurrected Christ and in the other Chapel La Pila Bautimal shows enourmeous dimensions and its built of pink marble brought from Tarragona Spain over a hundred years ago.

 

    The inside of the Temple is divided by three domes and two rows of archs.  The roof shows the optic illusion of tridementional squares.  In the center there is a beutiful rock cristal lamp that is over a hundred years old and iluminates the chuch with a total of 100 lights.  This lamp was imported from Barcelona in the year 1866 and is the oldest from all the Antillies.

   

    The lateral domes are rounded by ten identical altars made of white marble.  In the altars you find sculptures made out of wood and brought from Spain in 1860.  The most costly ones are the Sacret Heart of Christ , the Inmaculate Concepcion y el Archangel Rafael with Tobias and his dog.  The main altar has a monumental oil paint of the Purgatory and is really old but there is no documentation of the author.  Another detail is that behind the lateral doors of the Church we can see scenes of the life of Saint Agustin.

 

    The chancel is the most beutiful place Church.  Over its arch there is an oil paint of the Dismount of the Cross which is a copy of an italian paint.  Towerd the center you see the ceremony table buil of white marble.  This has been the place for the mass sacrifices for the last 400 years.  On the sides you have some beautiful and colorful windows with shields representing the city.  On other windows we see the Sacrament Symbols.
 

    The altar of the chancel is made out of white marble from Carrara Italy and is one of the most important pieces.  In the center you see a Silver Sacret and on the top you see three archs.  Today the church has put an antique Cross in the altar.  The altars is made of four Doric Columns.  On the elevated part and toward the center of the altar we see an sculpture of the Patron of San German, The Obispo of Auxerre, who is blessing the town.

 

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