| Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Andacollo | |
| Parroquia de Nuestra Señora del Rosario de Andacollo | |
|---|---|
| Location | Mapocho 2325 Santiago, Chile |
| Country | Chile |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| History | |
| Former name(s) | Capilla de San Vicente Ferrer (1865), Santuario de Nuestra Señora de Andacollo (1903) |
| Founded | June 6, 1912 |
| Dedication | Our Lady of Andacollo |
| Administration | |
| Archdiocese | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Santiago de Chile |
| Province | Roman Catholic Ecclesiastical Province of Santiago de Chile |
| Clergy | |
| Archbishop | Most Rev. Ricardo Ezzati Andrello |
| Pastor(s) | Rev. Christopher W. Cox, C.S.C. |
Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Andacollo, Santiago is Catholic parish in Santiago, Chile dedicated to Our Lady of Andacollo. The parish shares the same city block with Colegio de Nuestra Señora de Andacollo, a school administered, like the parish, by the Congregation of Holy Cross. Holy Cross Sisters serve in the parish as well.
"Our Lady of Andacollo" (Spanish: Nuestra Señora de Andacollo), also known as the "Virgin of Andacollo" (Spanish: Virgen de Andacollo), is a celebrated Catholic image of the Virgin Mary.
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In 1865, Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Andacollo was born as a chapel in honor of St. Vincent Ferrer to serve the people living to the west of the old downtown of Santiago, Chile. In 1890, a chaplain, Rev. Hernan Domeyko was assigned to the chapel. In 1901, the Archdiocese of Santiago gave permission for the construction of a church on the site of the old chapel. On Christmas eve of 1902, the parishioners requested the construction of a church in honor of St. Vicent Ferrer and a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Andacollo. Rev. Malcolm Johnson, C.S.C. reported in 1987 that, in spite of extensive archival research, he could not uncover the reason for the change, but, from 1903 forward, the community would be referred to as the "Sanctuary of Our Lady of Andacollo."
By 1912, the Sanctuary had grown in importance to the neighborhood that it was necessary to give it the designation of parish with Rev. Ladislao Godoy as its first pastor. By 1917, the parish census had grown to between 25,000 and 30,000 parishioners over a span of 100 city blocks.
In 1943, Nicomedes Guzmán wrote his novel about the poverty of the neighborhood, "La sangre y la esperanza" [The Blood and the Hope], that frequently marks the presence of the parish in the life of the poor by the sound of the church's bells in key moments of the novel.[1]
In 1913, the parish school had 180 students. That year, a night school was opened in addition to the day school, given that so many students worked during the day. During this same period, a student from a prestigious Jesuit school, San Ignacio, volunteered at the parish and school. That student worked in the office, as librarian, and as banker for the parish's students and its worker center. This student later enrolled in law school, focus on labor law, before entering the seminary with the Jesuits. Today, he is known as St. Alberto Hurtado. St. Alberto Hurtado was a champion of youth and the poor. His ministry with both began at Andacollo.[2]
From its inception, the parish served a large community of low-income persons. The needs always were greater than the resources. The parish responded creatively to remedy the massive needs. In 1906, a workers center was created. In 1911, the "Unión Protectora de Andacollo," a mutual benefit society or friendly society was formed. In 1915, the parish formed a conference of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul.
Today, this tradition of service continues at Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Andacollo. The parish serves long-time residents of the neighborhood as well as a growing immigrant population from Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Colombia. The parish has a dedicated meeting space for Alcoholics Anonymous. The parish has a thrift store as well as a soup kitchen for the elderly of the neighborhood.
The 1985 Santiago earthquake provoked extensive damage to the church. It struck, in fact, during mass, and, while all escaped the church safely, the church tower fell. The 2010 Chile earthquake also rendered extensive damage to the church. For several weeks, the parish worshiped outdoors. Eventually, sufficient funds were raised to repair the interior of the church.