The Church of St Mary, Rilán or simply Church of Rilán— — is a Catholic church located in the town of Rilán, commune of Castro, on the Chiloé Archipelago, southern Chile.
The Church of Rilán was declared a National Monument of Chile in 1971Retrieved 26 February 2013. and is one of the 16 Churches of Chiloé that were declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites on 30 November 2000.World Heritage Committee Inscribes 61 New Sites on World Heritage List. whc.unesco.org. November 30, 2000. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
The patron saint of the Church of St Mary, Rilán is Our Lady of Lourdes, whose feast day is celebrated on February 11.Iglesias Tradicionales de Chiloé. Monumentos.cl. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
This church leads one of the 24 parishes that form the Diocese of Ancud.Diócesis de San Carlos de Ancud. Iglesia.cl. In Spanish. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
History
The history of the church dates back to 1658, when Rilán was a settlement for indigenous communities.Editorial Kactus. Chiloé Archipelago: The enchanting island of mystery. p.35.
The current church was built early in the 19th century from coigue and cypress wood and is lined with alerce, cypress and mañio. It was declared a National Monument of Chile in 1979 and UNESCO World Heritage Site on 30 November 2000.World Heritage Committee Inscribes 61 New Sites on World Heritage List. whc.unesco.org. November 30, 2000. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
See also Churches of Chiloé
References