St Julian's Church, Argelia - History

History

In 1902, the bishop of Medellín, Joaquín Pardo Vergara, created the St Julian vice-parish (Viceparroquia de san Julián), which had approximately 3,000 inhabitants, and a simple straw chapel. That chapel was built by the Sonsón's priest, Daniel Florencio Sánchez, with the parishioner’s help. On 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 Sonsón.

On July 29 of 1903, Pardo Vergara, the first archbishop of Medellín, made a pastoral visit, but He was not in San Julián (now, Argelia). 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 Ramírez Pavas, future organist of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Medellín for more than forty years.

One of the first goals of Contreras, was to build a church capable of accommodating 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 López as vice-president, Vicente Flórez as treasurer, Primitivo Giraldo as secretary, and Críspulo Alzate as councilman, the same post of Ramón María Toro.

On August 23 of 1903, the first stone was laid with special solemnity and the accompaniment of Abel María Naranjo, foreign vicar and parson of Abejorral; Isaac Ángel, co-assistant of Sonsón; and Isaac Cardona, parson of Aquitania.

Argelia (old San Julián) was visited by the archbishop Manuel José Caicedo on 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 curate’s 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 Sonsón, Tiberio de Jesús Salazar y Herrera (future archbishop of Medellín), who made the suggestion, Caicedo promoted Contreras as co-assistant on April 25 of 1913. Nevertheless, Contreras died on July 6 of the same year. Contreras was followed by Salvador Vargas the same year, on May 25. Alzate, who designed the first emplacement of Argelia, was the director of the construction; and after, in August 1918, the archbishop created the parish of Argelia mediating his own decree. On April 29 of 1923, the people began the main facade using granite, obtained in a near quarry with the direction of Juan de Dios Díaz. On March 13 of 1927, the facade was almost finished, and the inside had the actual main altar.

In 1937, Vargas was removed and Alberto Londoño 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 Sonsón’s church, and later, part of the Jesus’s chapel (Capilla de Jesús), whose chaplain was Ramón Elías Botero. Vargas bought the chairs too.

Londoño was replaced by Mario Ángel, and He by Antonio Ángel in 1956. Antonio Ángel bought the via crucis, the lamps and the candelabrums. On March 18 of 1957, the Diocese of Sonsón was created (today, the Diocese of Sonsón-Rionegro), and the parish was became in part of the new diocese.