Merida Yucatan, (May 27, 2021).- This year’s rainy season will put to the test the new waterproofing that has been applied in churches and monuments under the custody of the Archdiocese of Yucatán, said auxiliary bishop and Diocesan Coordinator of the Relations Team with the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), Pedro Mena Díaz.
The prelate announced that work is being done in different sites with the support of the federal INAH and clarified that several religious precincts require permanent intervention as well as restoration and maintenance on walls, ceilings, and common areas of churches and sacristies.
Before the event of the episcopal investiture of the nuncio Fermín Sosa Rodríguez, in the convent of Izamal, Yucatàn municipality, Mena Díaz explained that works have been done to seal the walls, waterproof the ceilings in the main cloister, “but it is well known that the central vault of the convent already shows large stains of humidity on the altarpieces ”.
“At this moment I cannot say if an intervention will be carried out in that area, but they are conducting visits to determine the next steps for the next interventions to be carried out. Right now, all the churches need waterproofing and remodeling, progress is being made little by little, ” he said.
Regarding the recovery of the church in the town of Nah Balam, in Tizimín, Mena Díaz said that part of the works had been completed, so now a series of interventions are being carried out on the walls of the church (built in the 18th century) and other areas of the parish.
“In Nahbalam, there is a need to fix and waterproof the roofs, there is still a long way to go because there’s still a lot of work to do, and that will take a long time to be completed,” he added.
In the same way, he said that recovery works are beginning in the church of Tekantò, Yucatàn municipality, where last year, with the rains, a large part of the ceilings of the sacristy and corridors of the atrium collapsed, which can now be rebuilt with the resources of the insurance that protects these buildings.
“In recent weeks work was done on the roofs of the cathedral, in the church of Itzimná, but also in different towns where there are weak structures eroded by winds and humidity, ” he added.
In Uayma, Yucatàn municipality, special funds have been obtained to fix the roof and walls of the church, and the inhabitants have contributed to meet the needs in painting and maintenance.
“The waterproofing is being carried out with the new formula of soap, lime and alum from a specialist from the Faculty of Engineering of the UADY, we hope it will be an effective solution, because it will be applied to all buildings since it is very unexpensive” , he claimed.
Mena Díaz, who is also an architect, stressed that in this rainy season it will be important to maintain supervision of buildings, monuments and constructions because more and more problems are being reported.
