The natural enchanting of the valley is enriched by the incredible devotion of locals toward the image of the Lord of Mercy sculpted by the end of the eighteen century by orders of fray Santiago de Esperanza. It’s known that inhabitants used to gather money to help others, so they did to have the image sculpted, that’s why the name.

The constant preoccupation of different priests and locals in keeping the temple transformed the old little church and the ranch next to it built in “tapia” into a traditional modern style church. The construction was built in the same location in 1942 by orders of Father Aurelio Abarca. The work was finished by 1951 when it was blessed as “Nuevo Templo de Malacatos”

In 1985, father Miguel Angel Abad started a new remodeling project, the one that still remains these days. So much faith was rewarded at the moment when the Dioceses Prelate named the temple as “Sanctuary” in a representative ceremony with the presence of the Cardinal Senor Etcheverria and the Holy Image of “Virgin of the Swan as godmother.