Parroquia de la Santa Cruz, Colonial church in Puebla, Mexico.

Parroquia de la Santa Cruz stands at 12 Norte and 16 Oriente in Barrio El Alto. Its facade mixes estípite baroque ornament with neoclassical elements, and two towers carry tiled cupolas in yellow and blue. Inside, a sotocoro occupies the first bay and the vault rests on stone corbels; the single-body bell towers date from 1744, with a later top section added in the 20th century.

Bishop Manuel Fernández de Santa Cruz laid the first stone in 1693, because the Parish of San José could no longer serve the indigenous neighbourhoods. The temple was consecrated in 1714 as an offshoot of San José and became Puebla's fifth parish jurisdiction, covering Xonaca, Xonacatepec, San Juan del Río, El Alto and the Amalucan ranch, with a mostly indigenous population of about 5% of the city.

The parish is dedicated to the Holy Cross, not to a saint, and its patronal feast is celebrated on 3 May. Because it was consecrated to the Santa Cruz, the church was assigned to the guild of masons. Its jurisdiction covered the indigenous neighbourhoods of Xonaca, Xonacatepec, San Juan del Río, El Alto and the Amalucan ranch.

Visitors should be aware that the church is used for services at certain times and photography may not be permitted in some areas. It is helpful to be quiet and respectful of the religious setting while exploring the building.

Inside the tower's base, on the right side, a very small chapel is dedicated to the Justo Juez, represented by a 19th-century sculpture. The church also keeps a Lignum Crucis, a relic of the cross, and a large anonymous 17th-century Last Judgment canvas measuring 4.5 by 6 metres.