The archdiocese of Guadalajara is again asking the Catholic faithful to dig into their pockets to help fund another important stage in the construction of the massive Santuario de los Martires, located atop a hill in the poor Cerro de Cuatro barrio to the south of Guadalajara.
Funds from the annual “Juntos dejamos huella”(Together we leave a footprint) collection on Sunday, November 19 will be earmarked toward the cost of an enormous 44-by-53 meter stained-glass window to be placed at the rear of the temple.
The Santuario is set to be Mexico’s largest and most lavish religious edifice and cost an estimated two billion pesos. Started more than 17 years ago, it honors 25 of Mexico’s Catholic martyrs of the Cristero War of the 1920s.
The monumental window will be made by a family firm in Tepatitlán, Jalisco with three generations of experience in stained-glass craftsmanship. Italian and Spanish manufacturers were also asked to provide quotes but the archdiocese decided to opt for a local producer, mainly for cost reasons.
The predominant colors of the window will be yellow, red and blue, the latter two representing the “blood of the martyrs” and “the sky,” according to designer Fray Gabriel Chavez de la Mora.
According to Hector Castellanos Frank, the coordinator of the project, the final cost of the work is likely to exceed $US1 million. Completion is expected to take around 18 months.
Castellanos Frank said more than 700 million pesos has so far been plowed into the Santuario, which he estimated is around 70 percent finished.
The interior of the temple will be able to seat 12,000 people, and the exterior atrium a further 50,000. In addition to the church itself, plans include quarters for members of religious orders, a huge parking lot, a grand entrance way and multiple-use salons.
A bank account (65-09830126-6 at Banco Santander; CLABE 0143 2065 0983 012668) has also been set up to receive donations for the mega window.