The Sanctuary of the Miraculous Medal and Saint Augustine (), popularly known as Iglesia de la Unión (due to its location in the neighbourhood of La Unión) is a

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the Church (building), 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 com ...

Montevideo, Uruguay Montevideo (, ; ) is the capital and largest city of Uruguay. According to the 2023 census, the city proper has a population of 1,302,954 (about 37.2% of the country's total population) in an area of . Montevideo is situated on the southern coa ...

History

The parish was established on 12 October 1849, during the Guerra Grande. In 1896, bishop

Mariano Soler Monsignor Dr. Mariano Soler (born 25 March 1846 in San Carlos - deceased 26 September 1908 in Gibraltar) was a Uruguayan cleric and the first Roman Catholic archbishop of Montevideo, Uruguay. A student at the South American College in Rome, he ...

blessed the fundamental stone; but the construction of the building took decades, being consecrated in 1930. It has been a landmark of this neighbourhood ever since. Held by the

Congregation of the Mission The Congregation of the Mission (), abbreviated CM and commonly called the Vincentians or Lazarists, is a Catholic Church, Catholic society of apostolic life of pontifical right for men founded by Vincent de Paul. It is associated with the Vin ...

, it is dedicated to Saint

Augustine Augustine of Hippo ( , ; ; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430) was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Africa. His writings deeply influenced the development of Western philosop ...

and the Immaculate Virgin Mary of the

Miraculous Medal The Miraculous Medal (), also known as the Medal of Our Lady of Graces or the Medal of the Immaculate Conception, is a devotional medal, the design of which was originated by Catherine Labouré following her Marian apparition, apparitions of the ...

. Cardinal

Antonio Barbieri Antonio is a masculine given name of Etruscan origin deriving from the root name Antonius. It is a common name among Romance language–speaking populations as well as the Balkans and Lusophone Africa. It has been among the top 400 most popular m ...

was decisive in this dedication; now the sanctuary is a shrine of pilgrimage. Furthermore, in 1975 it was declared a National Monument. The Montevideo Philharmonic Orchestra holds concerts here during its seasons.Montevideo Philharmonic Orchestra

Same devotion

There is another church in Uruguay dedicated to the Miraculous Medal: * Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Parish Church in San Isidro, near Las Piedras

References

External links

Roman Catholic church buildings in Montevideo Roman Catholic churches completed in 1930 1849 establishments in Uruguay Congregation of the Mission Unión, Montevideo Roman Catholic shrines in Uruguay 20th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Uruguay Manuel Oribe {{uruguay-RC-church-stub