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St Julian's Church, Argelia
The '''St Julian's Church'is a colombian gothic revival church in Argelia (Department of Antioquia). The church is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of SonsonRionegro.
History
In 1902, the bishop of Medellin, Joaquin Pardo Vergara, created the St Julian vice-parish (Viceparroquia de san Julian''), which had approximately 3,000 inhabitants, and a simple straw chapel. That chapel was built by the Sonson's priest, Daniel Florencio Sanchez, with the parishioners help. In June 26 of the same year, Juan Manuel Contreras is appointed as vice-parson. Like others, the St Julian vice-parish was created as a part of the parish of Sonson.
In July 29 of 1903, Pardo Vergara, the first archbishop of Medellin, made a pastoral visit, but He was not in San Julian . In the visit, the archbishop gave an authorization to the parson; present the inused ornaments to the vice-parish. Among that, a harmonium, the first in Argelia, played by the young Nacianceno Ramirez Pavas, future organist of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Medellin for more than forty years.
One of the first goals of Contreras, was build a church capable of store all the parishioners. He requested the permission of the prelate, who immediately granted that. A directive assembly was created, with Juan Manuel Contreras as the president, Nazario Lopez as vice-president, Vicente Florez as treasurer, Primitivo Giraldo as secretary, and Crispulo Alzate as councilman, the same post of Ramon Maria Toro.
In August 23 of 1903, the first stone was laid with special solemnity and the accompaniment of Abel Maria Naranjo, foreign vicar and parson of Abejorral; Isaac Angel, co-assistant of Sonson; and Isaac Cardona, parson of Aquitania.
Argelia (old San Julian) was visited by the archbishop Manuel Jose Caicedo in August 28 of 1907, became himself in the first prelate visiting the vice-parish. In the epoch of the visit, the church was not initiated, excepting the tapias (walls) because the people preferred erect the curates home (casa cural). Caicedo encouraged the inhabitants of the village to contribute with the building, with money or personal work; giving priority to the church.
Towards the middle of 1911, a second pastoral visit was made by the archbishop Caicedo, Contreras was the vice-parson yet. In a certificate dated on 15th of the same month, the prelate mentions a beautiful guard gave by some local residents.
Thanks of the parson of Sonson, Tiberio de Jesus Salazar y Herrera (future archbishop of Medellin), who made the suggestion, Caicedo promoted Contreras as co-assistant in April 25 of 1913. Nevertheless, Contreras died in July 6 of the same year. Contreras was followed by Salvador Vargas the same year, in May 25. Alzate, who designed the first emplacement of Argelia, was the director of the construction; and after, in august of 1918, the archbishop created the parish of Argelia mediating his own decree. In April 29 of 1923, the people began the main facade using granite, obtained in a near quarry with the directionof Juan de Dios Diaz. In March 13 of 1927, the facade was almost finished, and the inside had the actual main altar.
In 1937, Vargas was removed and Alberto Londono was named as his replacement. Vargas was the parson for nearly seven years and replaced the old doors by new best doors, and the brick floor was replaced by tiles. Furthermore, the clock was added, bought for $&nsbp;180. Originally, the clock was property of the Sonsons church, and later, part of the Jesuss chapel (Capilla de Jesus), whose chaplain was Ramon Elias Botero. Vargas bought the chairs too.
Londono was replaced by Mario Angel, and He by Antonio Angel in 1956. Antonio Angel bought the via crucis, the lamps and the candelabrums. In March 18 of 1957, the Diocese of Sonson was created , and the parish was became in part of the new diocese.
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This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article St Julian's Church, Argelia
