The Temple of Our Lady of Mercy, a historic symbol of the Mexican state of Oaxaca, has reopened after 12 years. The church was closed due to damage caused by the earthquake. It was significant for the faithful of the region and has reopened its doors to public worship.
According to a newsletter from the Cultural Heritage Institute of the State of Oaxaca, the Temple of Our Lady of Mercy, which dates back to the 17th century, has faced various damages throughout its history. Among them, the “San Sixto earthquake,” which shook Mexico in 1787, and the devastating earthquake of 1931.
The temple also suffered the 7.8-magnitude earthquake of March 20, 2012, which caused “severe damage to the vaults” and led to the closure of “the building to the public,” according to authorities.
Subsequently, the 8.2 magnitude earthquake of September 7, 2017, with its epicentre in the Gulf of Tehuantepec, “ the largest earthquake in almost a hundred years in Mexico,” along with another earthquake that occurred on September 9, which was also strongly felt, severely impacted the center and southeast of the country. Both events, the gazette notes, “increased the patrimonial damage,” leaving the temple in a critical condition.
Its reinforced concrete dome, installed in 1930, was severely damaged. The dome’s great weight—some 500 tons—caused further damage to the structure and made reconstruction work impossible until it was removed.