---

The history of the Cathedral is linked to the origins of the city. The founding of the city of Mercedes was due to the defensive necessity resulting from the border tension with the indigenous people.



From the fight with the Indian the "Guardia de Luján" emerged in 1745 as it was decided to create forts in the parties on the border of Buenos Aires. These first militiamen could not bear the harshness of life in these incipient forts and began to desert, leaving the forts abandoned. It was necessary to replace these men with a professional and Creole troop: the so-called Blandengues.



Together with the arrival of these men, the Buenos Aires Cabildo ordered that a chapel and a dwelling be incorporated in the forts for the religious who accompany said militiamen. The first official chaplain of the Blandengues company was the Mercedarian priest Fray Hilario Pabón.



When the Virgin of the Mercedes was proclaimed "patron" of the Buenos Aires campaign in 1742 by Mercedario Fray Nuño del Aguila, the cult of the Virgin Redemptrix of captives became more widespread and effective in the border towns than in other places. That is why the military chaplaincies were initially covered by Mercedarian friars, whose presence in the Río de La Plata dates back to the expedition of Pedro de Mendoza in 1536, and their definitive seat in Buenos Aires dates back to 1601.



Starting in 1791, the military chaplain of the Luján Guard exercised the sacred ministries of vice-health in his neighborhood, with the power to administer all the sacraments. Thus was born the vicarious chaplaincy or vice-parish under the jurisdiction and curate of the Parish of Villa de Luján. The Military Chaplaincy remained until 1812, when it disappeared with the military garrison. The last chaplain of the Luján Guard was Fr. Francisco Silveira. During that time the patron of the fort was San José.





The Cathedral Basilica of Mercedes-Luján is located in the city of Mercedes, province of Buenos Aires, Argentina.



It was built in 1904. In it are the remains of Mr. Saturnino Unzué and Mrs. Inés Dorrego de Unzué.

---