The earlier wooden church was destroyed by a fire in 1863 during the "Dominican War of Restoration" ("Guerra de Restauración"). Construction of the present church began in 1870 under Pedro Tomás de Mena. Reconstruction of the church began in 1929 and was completed in 1956. The reconstruction took longer than expected due to an earthquake in 1946. In 2003 yet another earthquake damaged the structure, which was fully repaired by 2008.