San Andrés Apóstol, San Andrés Tomatlán

The Parish Church of San Andrés Apóstol is in the old Pueblo de  Tomatlán. It may be best viewed from the platform of the neighborhood Metro station on Line 12. But the church’s role in the neighborhood festivities, which happen year-round, leaves little doubt that it’s historically been an important local meeting place.

The current church was begun in 1979. It replaced a much older local chapel. An original Chapel of San Andrés Apóstol, at this same location, was recorded in a painting from 1580. That record was created as part of the Relación Geografica. It was a well-known project undertaken by the Spanish crown to gather data on indigenous communities. The result was that the entirety of the larger city of Culhuacan is one of the best documented cities of the 16th century.

The older chapel, demolished in the 1970s, bore some resemblance to the Señor del Calvario Chapel just north of the Culhuacan Center. It likely dated from a similar time (i.e.; late 19th century).

The new Parish Church of San Andrés Apóstol was begun in 1979, and finished in the mid-1980s. It was made a parish church in 1987. It’s design echoes many other parish churches in its modernity and even extremes of expression. But like every church in the Valley of Mexico, it’s also 100% unique.

A depiction of the church appears, not just on the Metro station logo, but on the Arches welcoming visitors to the town. This is at the intersection of Avenida Tláhuac and the Avenida Santa Ana. It’s just after the Puente del Toro which crosses the Canal Nacional.