THE GOOD SHEPHERD PARISH – Ornamentation

The temple has a varied and profuse decoration, both due to the architectonic, sculptural and pictorial elements. The reduced barrel vault of the central nave is divided in panels that are completely decorated with geometric figures: octagons in its central part, squares, truncated triangles and rectangles; all of them are framed and molded, some were filled with sacred and vegetation pictorial decorations. The central and highest zone end in a decorative key. This vault rests in a clerestory that has a row of octagonal windows interspersed with painted decorative panels. This gives necessary light that makes bright the church interior.

This structure is held in fluted capital columns Corinthian style ending in Roman arches completely ornamented with decorative panels as well as their alfiz panels, which divides the main nave from the lower lateral ones. These, differently from the main one, end in a lintel roof, also completely ornamented with decorated panels. The walls are decorated with large Roman arches of the nave height, with decorative panels in their formation and separated over decorative pilasters. There is a zone of that proliferates with ornaments referring to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Through the lateral naves one can appreciate a series of devotional altars dedicated to different religious characters, interleaved with small pictures with images of the Stations of the Cross. It can be highlighted also that in certain zones of the lateral walls there are commemorative tombstone of certain important characters buried in the church. On the wall of the left lateral nave the following can be observed: Saint Juan Eudes, a wood relief of the Custodian Angel Saint, a sculpture set of Saint Joseph and Baby Jesus, an altar and a commemorative tombstone of José Ma. Gallo Zavala and a sculpture element of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

On the later right wall one can appreciate: a sculpture element of Saint María Eufrasia Pelletier, founder of the Congregation of our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd, under which there are commemorative tombstones of donors to the Congregation, specially one of Rosa de Santiago Concha de Fernández and of Rosario Fernández Concha, a wood relief of Archangel Saint Michael, a sculpture element of Saint Juan Evangelista, a commemorative tombstone of Bishop Monsignor Ramón Munita Eyzaguirre, a pair of angles, one with the national flag and a beautiful sculpture dedicated to the Virgin of Carmen.

In the transept and in the later part of the temple the decoration is completely different, rather austere and simple. Over a very soft ochre color niches are located that contain devotional sculptures of saints, interspersed with pictorial works dedicated to scenes of Christ, the Virgin, Evangelists and Saints. Thus, the route is formed by: a sculpture de Saint Teresa de Jesus (Teresa de Ávila), a painting of the Sacred Family, a sculpture of Saint Teresa de los Andes, a painting with a scene of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ, a sculpture of Saint Alberto Hurtado, a painting with the image of Saint Mateo, Saint Lucas, Saint Marcos, Saint Juan Evangelista, a sculpture of the Virgin Mary, a painting of one of the times Jesus Christ fell with the Cross during the Calvary, a painting of Jesus Christ descending from the Cross, a sculpture of Saint Joseph with the Holy Child Jesus, another painting of Christ descending from the Cross, a painting on the Crucifixion of Christ, a painting on the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a sculpture of Juan María Vianney, Holy Priest of Ars, painting with a scene of Jesus on the mount, a painting representing the Invocation of the Virgin Mary, painting with a scene on the Passion of Christ, painting with image of the Virgin Mary and the Child Jesus as an Invocation, a sculpture on Saint Francisco de Asís and finally a painting dedicated to the Heart of Mary.

In the back part the choir stalls can be appreciated, previously used as the nuns’ choir zone, the wall accompany the area with a series of pictures calling on the life of some of the saints listed above in the route of the temple’s back zone walls.

In the transept, at a higher level, there is an altar that is accompanied in the back part by an awning crowned in Roman arches where the Blessed Sacrament is found. Hanging from the arch layer key segment, there is a crucified Christ.

The set of the dome is also decorated. Starting from the alfiz panels of the walls that support the roof where the dome is initiated, which is ornamented with discs and painted elements simulating moldings, within which profuse painted vegetation decorations can be observed. The central discs contain the images of: the Lamb of God, monogram of Jesus Christ, the Sacred Heart, and Marian monogram. The transept roof is decorated as a starred vault adorned with golden garlands and vegetation elements. In the wall transition to the roof there are four painted discs that contain the image of the four evangelists with their respective symbolic elements that are related to the four living beings of the Apocalypses:

“The first living being looks like a lion; the second, to a bull; the third has a face like a man, and the fourth being looks like an eagle in full flight.” Apocalypses 4:7.

Saint Mateo/Angel (or winged man): since its gospel beings with the list of Jesus ancestors.
Saint Marcos/Lion: since its gospel beings with the preaching of the Baptist in the desert, where there were wild animals.

Saint Lucas/Oxen: typical animal of the sacrifices that refer to the vision of Zachary in the Temple, where animals were sacrificed such as oxen, calves and sheep.

Saint Juan/Eagle: allegory of the proximity between the apostle and Jesus. It is the apostle’s view of the sky where there is the eagle since its gospel beings with the contemplation of Jesus-God.
Already in the starred zone, discs can be seen in each one of its corners representing symbols of the Catholic faith, such as the Chalice, the Host, and the stairway to Heaven, spikes, pigeons, crosses, and geometrical elements, among others. The dome base that supports the cupola is octagonal, where each one of its sides has a large picture window crowned in an arch, decorated with architectonic elements such as over pilasters, cornices, corbels and golden vegetation elements.

In the back exit, behind the choir stalls that go into the convent, a beautiful set can be observed in polychromatic wood of the Sacred Family, with a teenage Jesus learning the trade of his father Joseph.