VGI Updates

Templo Evangélical Congregacional: A German Congregational Church was dedicated on 23 September 1928.

The current building of San José Catholic Church in Colonia Brasilera was dedicted 15 October 1895. This is the second building, the first having been located on the same site (made of brick with a metal roof). The architects of the current structure were C. & E. Fogeler (from Germany) who also designed the churches in Spatzenkutter, Valle María, Salto, Crespo, and Diamante.

The Rev. Emil Mohn began holding a Bible study at the home of Juan Dietz on 23 June 1926. This marked the beginning of the German Lutheran congregation in Bovril. The families known to have been involved in this organization include those of: Johannes (Juan) Dietz, Andreas (Andrés) Heinze, Georg (Jorge) Müller, David Herbel, Friedrich (Federico) Herbel, Gottfried (Godofredo) Kerps, and Konrad (Conrado) Graff.

On 1 January 1960, the parish divided into two: Viale (south) and Bovril (north).

The first church service was held on 18 July 1920 in the home of Johann (Juan) A. Kaiser. Pastor Johann Vöhringer presided. The congregation was officially organized in 1928.

The congregation is called St. John's Church (Templo San Juan) and is affiliated with the Iglesia Evangélica del Río de La Plata (IERP).

Congregacíon de la Paz is the Congregational Church in Villa Ballester. It was founded by Volga Germans from the rural areas of Argentina who moved to the Buenos Aires area.

The congregation of Iglesia Luterana San Marcos (St. Mark's Lutheran Church) celebrated its 50th Anniversary on 12 September 2010.

Location

The Seminario Concordia de la Iglesia Evangélica Luterana Argentina began in 1942 in a rented building in the Belgrano neighborhood of Buenos Aires. The first six students graduated in 1944. In 1946-47, the seminary was located in Villa Ballester. The current facility was opened in the northern Buenos Aires suburb of José L. Suárez in 1948.

Location

The history of the San Lucas (St. Luke) congregation in Banfield can be traced back to Enrique Jauck, pastor of the congregation in the Belgrano neighborhood of Buenos Aires City. In 1932, he visited the ethnic German families from Yugoslavia who had settled in Banfield. It was decided to start a Lutheran congregation to serve the needs of these immigrants, and an initial meeting was held on 22 February 1933. A vicar named Knote was assigned to the new congregation. During the early years, the congregation met in a variety of locations in Banfield.

The first wooden church building in San José was constructed in 1888.

The current parish church in San José is called Iglesia San José Obrero (Saint Joseph the Worker Catholic Church). It was the brainchild of Father John Beckert. It was built under the direction of Father Juan Scharle. The cornerstone was laid on 18 September 1927 and dedication held on 7 May 1930. All construction was funded by the settlers themselves. Its twin towers are 50 meters tall with a 5-meter tall cross atop each one.

In 1913, Pastor Conrad Schröder of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod first came to Rivera to attend to the spiritual needs of the German Lutherans who were living there. He baptized 23 children on his first visit. A congregation was organized with the name Iglesia Evangélica Luterana Emaús de Rivera (Emaus Lutheran Church of Rivera).