It is very gratifying for citizens to see that the public places where they live, such as squares and churches, are being restored. I experienced that feeling of joy a few months ago with the complete restoration of the main church in the parish, where I was baptized many years ago and where I have attended Mass on different occasions, such as baptisms, weddings, or wakes, as well as on religious holidays such as Christmas or Holy Week.
In general, this Catholic church located in Cagua, Aragua state, Venezuela, is always kept painted and clean because it is the main church in the municipality, but this is the first time, as far as I can remember, that such important changes have been made to its interior. Its restoration was carried out in record time, I estimate in a month and a half, and I thought it would not be ready for Holy Week. The workers were active 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to finish on time.
While they were doing the restoration work, I only took three photos, two on the side wall where you can see one of the two large doors of the church and one photo of the main façade. This was on a day when I was in a hurry and thought I would have another opportunity, but that was not the case because they worked very quickly.
I did not attend the inauguration but went a few days later during Holy Week, but there were so many people that I could not appreciate the details well. I did notice important changes, such as the floor, which was now granite, and the pews where the parishioners sit, which now have padded kneelers. I had been meaning to write this review, so this week I noticed that the church was open and empty, two things that don't always happen, and I took advantage of it.
I noticed that outside, before entering the church, they had put in a ramp for wheelchairs, thinking of the disabled and people with reduced mobility. Upon entering, there was a lot of light due to the white ochre color of the walls and columns, the new floor, and the modern lamps hanging from the ceiling. Although there was a lot of light, it was not annoying or uncomfortable. After seeing that everything was illuminated, the wooden beam ceiling contrasted with its mahogany color, neither of which were striking in the past.
The images of the Holy Sepulcher, the Dolorosas, and the Virgin of the Valley were embedded in a Roman or Greek design used in temples, with their characteristic double columns and triangular ceiling, highlighted with gold. I found it interesting that they also painted the ceiling with allegorical images of spirituality, angels, and doves.
In the following photos, you can see the left aisle and the central aisle of the church. It used to have three aisles, but the third one was adapted to accommodate the larger images. The main altar looks simple and even plain, with images of Dr. Jose Gregorio Hernández, who will soon be elevated to sainthood, St. Joseph above as patron saint of the parish, St. Francis of Assisi, and I don't remember the Virgin. There are also the flags of Venezuela, the state, the municipality, and another.
What I did find beautiful and innovative, because it wasn't there before, was the dome of one of the wings, the one on the left. In the center, they painted an image of Jesus crucified, and above, around the dome, there are many angels with clouds in a darker ochre color than the rest of the walls. I'm not sure if these images are paintings or some kind of wallpaper that looks like oil paintings. and on the sides there are also paintings alluding to important moments in the life of Jesus.
This part is the most beautiful part of the church. If I had designed it, I would have left this part as the main altar.
There are many elements that make this restoration a success. The lights in the small images and the tubes decorating the columns look modern and elegant, the small, discreet horns with a color that blends in with the walls go unnoticed, and the outlets allow parishioners to charge their cell phones if they need to. All these details make visitors feel at ease, in a church that blends the classic with the modern.
I bid you farewell, thanking you for your time, and invite you to leave me your opinion. We'll meet in the comments.
