Our Lady of Fatima Church

The Our Lady of Fatima church is the Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Fátima, that is, a parish church in the capital of  Zacatecas. It's easily one of the most visible, and rather unusually, Gothic in its design. The highlight of the structure is the octagonal dome replete with stained glass windows depicting biblical scenes and the apparition of the Virgin of Fatima. The legend of Fatima began with apparitions to three Portuguese shepherd children in 1916.  

But the church somehow stands out most of all for the soaring heights it reaches. It seems to transform the local pink and orange stone into something much lighter - almost a fruit color, and almost of a celebratory and festive character - somber Neo-Gothic though it be. It's as if the beautiful structure could be much lighter than stone, and less solid than the surrounding city and mountains from which it emerges. 

Construction began in 1950. This was at the initiative of the parish priest, Manuel de la Hoz and some of his most devoted parishioners. They got sponsorship from the Bishop, Antonio M. Aguilar. Architectural design was carried out by engineer José Luis Amezcua Sahagún and architect Dámaso Muñetón, renowned for their work on other religious buildings in Mexico. Construction took more than five decades but it was finished in time for the 100 year anniversary of the original apparitions in Portugal.

Today the spire of the church often appears in photos of the nearby Museo Francisco Goitia. Inside though, there's a towering 3.65-meter-tall sculpture of the Virgin of Fatima. Side chapels are dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe and to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The stained glass windows tell the Fatima story, one remains enigmatic and alluring even all these decades later. 

People often visit the church simply for the experience of the architecture and for the art inside. It's a remarkable, soaring church, and one that continues to inspire and elevate those who visit.