The Church Santa María del Rosario of Vega Baja ( Spanish: ''Iglesia Santa María del Rosario de Vega Baja'') is a historic

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...

from 1860 located in the main public square (plaza) of Vega Baja Pueblo, the historic and cultural downtown of the municipality of

Vega Baja, Puerto Rico Vega Baja (, ) is a Vega Baja barrio-pueblo, town and Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality located on the coast of north central Puerto Rico. It is north of Morovis, Puerto Rico, Morovis, east of Manatí, Puerto Rico, Manatí, and west of ...

. The parish, which is part of the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Arecibo The Diocese of Arecibo is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church and consists of half of the northern portion of the island of Puerto Rico, a commonwealth of the United States. The mother church is the Catedral ...

, was added to the United States National Register of Historic Places in 1984 as part of the Historic Churches of Puerto Rico thematic

multiple property submission The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of Historic districts in the United States, districts, sites, buildings, struc ...

. The church was designed by architect Antonio María Guitián and it was built in stages between the years 1850 and 1874, while being consecrated in 1860 and officially inaugurated on March 12, 1870. Its original clock tower was heavily damaged by the 1918 Aguadilla earthquake, and finally destroyed by the

1928 Okeechobee hurricane The Okeechobee hurricane of 1928, also known as the San Felipe Segundo hurricane, was one of the deadliest hurricanes in the recorded history of the North Atlantic basin, and the fourth deadliest hurricane in the United States, only behind the ...

, better known as the San Felipe Segundo hurricane in Puerto Rico. In addition to its inscription in the National Register of Historic Places on September 18, 1984, the church was included in the municipally designated Historic Zone of Vega Baja in 2004. The church is open to the public during weekday services at 6:30 AM and 7:00 PM, and during weekend services at 4:00 PM and 7:00 PM.

Gallery

File:Parroquia Nuestra Señora del Rosario, Vega Baja1.jpg, Church building side detail from José Julián Acosta Street, 2023. File:Parroquia Nuestra Señora del Rosario, Vega Baja6.jpg, Church building side from Betances Street, city hall in the background, 2023. File:Church Santa María Del Rosario Of Vega Baja 02.jpg, Church façade in 2019.

References

Vega Baja, Puerto Rico 19th-century Roman Catholic church buildings Roman Catholic churches completed in 1874 Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Puerto Rico Tourist attractions in Puerto Rico Roman Catholic churches in Puerto Rico 1870s establishments in Puerto Rico 1874 establishments in the Spanish Empire {{PuertoRico-church-stub