The history of the Bucaramanga cathedral begins in 1895 when the priest Uribe Villarreal insisted on building a new church for the city. Construction took many years and it was not until 1928 that decoration and facing works were carried out inside and on the façade of this cathedral, an example of the country’s religious architecture.
In 1952, Pope Pius XII declared the Sagrada Família the Cathedral of the Diocese, marking an important event for this monument that went from being a common parish to celebrate ecclesiastical activities to become the official seat of the Bishop.
A few decades later, on December 14, 1974, by order of Pope Paul VI, the Diocese of the city was elevated to the category of Archdiocese of Bucaramanga, choosing the Sagrada Familia as its Cathedral.