Templo de San Hipólito

A church built for a defeat

The temple occupies the site of a hermitage Hernán Cortés ordered raised for the Spanish soldiers killed during the Noche Triste, the rout of June 30, 1520, when Mexica forces drove his army out of Tenochtitlan. The city fell just over a year later, on August 13, 1521, which in the Catholic calendar is the feast of Saint Hippolytus. The dedication followed from the date. Work on the building that stands there now began in 1599 and was completed in 1740.

How San Judas took over

A side chapel was given to San Judas Tadeo in the 1950s. The devotion grew through the following decades, and in 1982 his image was moved to the main altar and set between San Hipólito and San Casiano, the two saints the church is named for. No published account explains why this church became the center of the devotion and not one of the others in the city. The result is that most people in Mexico City know the building as the church of San Judas, and its own name is the one that has to be looked up.

The 28th of the month

The feast of San Judas Tadeo is October 28, and devotees observe the 28th of every month as a smaller version of it. They arrive carrying his image, some of the statues waist-high, dressed in the green and white associated with him, and line up to have them blessed. Vendors sell flowers, candles, and figures along the approach on most days of the year.

On the 2025 feast the church ran masses at 5am, noon, and 5pm, with blessings at 9am, 11am, 2pm, 4pm, 6pm, and 8pm, and closed its doors at 8:30pm. City authorities shut the lateral lanes of Paseo de la Reforma between Violeta and Avenida Hidalgo, and closed Avenida Hidalgo itself to traffic. Press coverage put attendance above 200,000, though that figure is reported across all of the city's San Judas churches rather than this one on its own.

The church is open daily and free to enter, and there is no ticket or booking for an ordinary visit. Metro Hidalgo, on Lines 2 and 3, is a 2 minute walk away. Any day other than the 28th it is a quiet working parish and takes about 20 minutes to see.

The 28th of every month is the day to come if you want to see the devotion rather than the building, and October 28 is the largest by a wide margin. On that day expect road closures around Paseo de la Reforma and Avenida Hidalgo, long lines to reach the image, and mass timings published by the parish shortly beforehand on its own social channels. Bring a statue if you have one, because having it blessed is the reason most people are there.

It's a working parish with services running throughout, so it's best practice to ask before taking photos inside, or to frame your shots so that other worshippers aren't included. As with anywhere unfamiliar it's worth staying alert, and it's best to start heading home before dark.