Ushuaia, Argentina, located about 2,000 miles south of Buenos Aires, is the capital of Tierra del Fuego (Land of Fire) province and is the southernmost city on earth.

It is also home to the southernmost Catholic church on the planet.

This city of 60,000, which has also been given the name Fin de Mundo (End of the World), is located close to the Tierra del Fuego National Park, which, with its lakes, forests and mountains, is a major tourist attraction. Because the city is a tax-free zone, tourists enjoy going there to shop.

Ferdinand Magellan, the first explorer to visit the area, saw fires along the coastline in 1520. The fires were lit by natives to warn of approaching danger. Magellan called the area “Land of Fire.”

Ushuaia is also located on Beagle Shore, named after the HMS Beagle, on which naturalist Charles Darwin sailed in 1834.

Ushuaia, an Indian name meaning “bay entering into the west,” is the port closest to Antarctica and the jumping-off point for ships sailing back and forth to the Antarctic. It is home to Our Lady of Mercy (Nuestra Señora de la Merced) Church.

During the 1800s, in the absence of a church, Catholic chaplains made sporadic visits to Ushuaia to attend to the spiritual needs of the Catholics who lived there. In 1894, the governor of Argentina, Mariano Cordero, obtained funds from the national government of Argentina to build a church in Ushuaia.

The new church was completed within the year and was soon attended to by Salesian priests from Punta Arenas, but sporadically at first.

In 1898, Padre Juan Fosatti opened the church to the public on a full-time basis. In 1900, Father Fortunato arrived as chaplain of the territory.

Construction of a new church was begun in 1949, and the parish was dedicated to the Most Holy Virgin under the title of Our Lady of Mercy, whose feast day is Sept. 24.

According to the Salesian Father Jose Ellero, pastor, “Our Lady of Mercy wants to grant the community of Ushuaia her maternal protection and wants to free us of all anxiety and of those matters that prevent us from seeing clearly the true road to salvation and do not allow us to reach the happiness to which we are called because we are children of God.”

Italian carpenters built the churches without architectural drawings, using whatever wood and metal was available.

As a result, the style of both churches is eclectic — a mixture of neogothic, classic romantic, and simple prismatic design. Neither church has lateral naves.

Remembering a Shipwreck … And an Earthquake

Ushuaia now has two parishes: Our Lady of Mercy and the relatively new Mary Help of Christians (Maria Auxiliadora).

The Salesians also operate the Don Bosco School for 1,000 pre-school, elementary and secondary students.

Upon entering Our Lady of Mercy, which holds 300, one sees to the very right a large glass window that features the image of Our Lady of Lujan, patroness of Argentina, in thanksgiving for the 1,300 shipwrecked tourists who were rescued on Jan. 22, 1930. The window was placed there in memory of the tourists, who donated funds for the building of the new church to replace the original. A plaque bears words of thanksgiving to Our Lady of Lujan. The church’s hull-like appearance is appropriate, considering that event. But in actuality, the shape is a symbol of the idea that the Church is the “ship of salvation.”

Just past the glass window are two statues — St. Teresa of the Child Jesus and Mary Help of Christians.

On either side of the nave are dark wooden pews. Above the nave are three large chandeliers.

In the center of the sanctuary is a large marble altar, adorned with a relief of the Last Supper. Above the tabernacle is a crucifix, and above that is the statue of Our Lady of Mercy.

On Dec. 18, 1949, there was a major earthquake that left cracks on the interior walls of the church. It has been said that parishioners heard the church bells ringing during the earthquake, although no one was ringing the bells.

The Salesian community takes care to accommodate the many tourists who visit Our Lady of Mercy. During the Sunday liturgies, both the Gospel and Lord’s Prayer are prayed in several languages, and free postcards are distributed that feature Ushuaia’s various religious sites. In addition, a religious historical museum is being developed.

Joseph Albino writes from Camillus, New York.

Our Lady of Mercy Church

San Martín 936

Ushuaia, Argentina

011-54-2901-431-312

[email protected]

Planning Your Visit

From the Islas Malvinas Airport, ask a cab driver to take you to Our Lady of Mercy, which is located in the center of the city, about three miles away.

During the winter months, tourists come to ski in the nearby mountains. During the summer months, many tourists arrive on the large cruise ships which have boosted tourism in the area.

Mass is celebrated at 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, from March 1 to Dec. 1. The Saturday Mass of Anticipation is at 6:00 p.m. for the squires of Don Bosco and at 7:00 p.m. for the adults. Sunday Masses are at noon, 7:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.

Annually, for the nine days leading up to Sept. 24, there is a novena to Our Lady of Mercy, patroness of the church.