The Christian Evangelization of Coatetelco dates to about 1529 or 1530. In 1531, under the leadership of Fray Toribio de Benavente Motolinia, construction of a house which included two rooms and an atrium was begun on where a temple had stood near the lake. A cross was found there between 1974 and 1978 when the floor was changed during remodeling. In 1590 two cells, a vicarage, and a portico were built, and construction began on an open chapel. Construction stopped in the 17th century when Xuan Xuarez led an armed rebellion against the landowners due to land expropriation. The monks defended the landowners, and the peasants destroyed the vicarage, which was seen as the center of Spanish control. The Marquis later destroyed the entire complex. Construction of the church of San Juan Bautista was completed in Baroque style in the 18th century, although a large convent was never built. Since that time, the original design of the building has been lost, largely because the Zapatistas used it as a headquarters during the Mexican Revolution that began in 1910. Its restoration was begun in 1926. Then as a result of the 1985 Mexico City earthquake, the building was again damaged. The church was severely damaged in the September 19, 2017 earthquake, which also cost five lives in Coatetelco.