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Church of the Holy Spirit and San Patricio

Loíza, US

Church of the Holy Spirit and San Patricio

The Parroquia del Espíritu Santo y San Patricio (English: Parish Church of the Holy Spirit and Saint Patrick), constructed in 1645, is one of Puerto Rico's oldest Catholic parish churches. It is located in the main plaza of the municipality of Loíza, Puerto Rico. The church was listed on the U.S. Na

tional Register of Historic Places in 1976. The register's inventory says the church is “unique in the island because of its structure and architectural expression” and represents “the only sample of a fortified religious structure in the island, probably because it was traditionally used as a shelter for hurricanes, floods and other phenomena which it resisted through its massiveness.” The register also says the Loiza parish is "an ethnically distinct community, the only one of its type in Puerto Rico, which is characterized by a rich history of Afro-Hispanic folk and crafts activities." In 1957, a citizens committee was formed to restore it. The church was listed on the Puerto Rico Register of Historic Sites and Zones in 2000. The church structure has massive walls and buttresses, which has helped it withstand natural disasters over the centuries. The church, named after Saint Patrick...

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