Sacred Family Church in Roma Norte

The Sacred Family Church in Roma Norte can stand out like a sore thumb, primarily for its Neo-Gothic and Neo-Romanesque architecture. International visitors might note here how quickly and deeply the eye has accustomed itself to the Baroque and Functionalist styles so much more pervasive across Mexico City’s rather un-steepled roofscape.

Just as stark is the reminder that barely a century ago, Roma Norte was farmland and had no Parish Church. In 1906, a Don Pedro Lascurain and his pious family conceived the idea of ​​building the temple and got the idea off the ground with some donated land.

Construction began in 1910 under the sponsorship of the Jesuits who’ve been the custodians of the church ever since. Construction was halted from 1913 to 1917 during the Revolution. Architect Manuel Gorozpe finally completed the project in 1925.

Among the highlights inside, the church boasts multi-colored stained glass windows in organic designs. Some illustrate bible passages and the mysteries of the Christian faith. They were made in Mexico by an Italian company callled Talleri.

• Immediately behind the church, with the entranceway facing north, is the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception. It’s almost obscured by the pressing city. The Chapel is the 1942 work of architect José Creixell. He’d go on to build the famous, and much more angular, Immaculate Conception Church in El Prado, Iztapalapa.

Not far from the charming Romita neighborhood, much hailed in recent years, the Sacred Family Church in Roma Norte is a sort of quiet reminder. The rebellion and alternative culture now so strongly associated with Roma, and with Zona Rosa, goes a long way back.