Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of St. John of the Lakes, Catholic cathedral and minor basilica in San Juan de los Lagos, Mexico
The Cathedral Basilica is a minor basilica and cathedral in San Juan de los Lagos, Mexico, built in the New Spanish Baroque style. Its layout follows a Latin cross with Gothic vaults and a central silver dome beneath which the venerated statue of Mary stands.
Construction started in 1732 under architect Juan Rodriguez de Estrada and finished in 1769, replacing an earlier shrine on the same site. The church received the status of minor basilica in 1972 and continues to serve as the religious center for the region.
Pilgrims from across Latin America come here to pray before the small statue of Mary made from sugarcane, venerated as a miraculous worker. Believers often touch the gilded railings around the sanctuary while presenting their requests.
Visitors can enter the building throughout the day and will find several side aisles and chapels for quiet prayer. Most people visit during morning services or in the early evening when locals gather for the rosary.
Four columns of salmon-colored African marble support a semicircular structure forming the altar baldachin. These columns were transported across the Atlantic in the 18th century and represent a rare example of imported material in colonial Mexican architecture.
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