Where It's Located
The Tegucigalpa Honduras Temple is located at:
Residencial Roble Oeste
Boulevard Roble Oeste, 3ra Calle Sur
Comayagüela, M.D.C., Francisco Morazán, Honduras
The temple sits on approximately 13.6 acres in the Residencial Roble Oeste neighborhood, near Toncontín International Airport.
Getting There
For travelers arriving by air, Toncontín International Airport is particularly convenient because the temple was ultimately built near the airport.
Tegucigalpa and Comayagüela form the country's capital-area urban center, with the temple located on the western side of the metropolitan area.
The temple currently has:
- An arrival center
- Patron housing
- A distribution center
There is no public visitors' center.
The First Temple in Honduras
The Tegucigalpa Honduras Temple was the first temple built in Honduras and the sixth temple built in Central America.
Its construction was especially meaningful for Honduran Latter-day Saints, who had previously needed to travel outside the country to participate in temple ordinances.
Temple Announcement
The First Presidency announced the Tegucigalpa Honduras Temple on June 9, 2006.
Honduran members received the news during a visit from Spencer V. Jones, then president of the Central America Area.
The announcement was met with excitement because members in the area had been making a roughly 12-hour journey to the Guatemala City Guatemala Temple.
The First Presidency expressed confidence that the temple would bless faithful Saints in Honduras and surrounding areas who had previously needed to travel long distances.
A Much Shorter Trip for Nicaraguan Saints
The temple would also benefit members in neighboring Nicaragua.
At the original groundbreaking, stake presidents from Nicaragua expressed gratitude that the new temple would be only about four hours away, allowing them to spend more of their temple trips performing ordinances rather than traveling.
This illustrates how the temple was designed to serve members across national borders, not just those living in Honduras.
The First Groundbreaking
The Tegucigalpa Temple has a particularly unusual history because it had two groundbreaking ceremonies at two different locations.
The first groundbreaking took place on June 9, 2007, exactly one year after the temple was announced.
The original site was next to the institute building at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras on the eastern side of Tegucigalpa.
Why the Temple Was Relocated
Construction at the original location was halted after excavation for the foundation began.
The proposed temple site was close to the iconic Our Lady of Suyapa Basilica, a major Catholic landmark in Honduras.
City officials and citizens expressed concern that the temple would overshadow the basilica and interfere with its view.
After months of negotiations, the Church was unable to obtain the necessary approval from the city government.
Rather than create the impression of competition or rivalry with the Catholic Church, Church officials decided to relocate the temple.
The Second Groundbreaking
A second groundbreaking took place on September 12, 2009, at the temple's current location in Residencial Roble Oeste.
The ceremony was a small private event attended by invited priesthood leaders and Area Authorities.
The new property provided several acres for the temple and placed it near Toncontín International Airport.
Public Open House
The Tegucigalpa Honduras Temple held its public open house from February 9 through March 2, 2013.
The open house lasted 21 days, giving members of the public an opportunity to tour the completed temple before its dedication.
Dedication
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf dedicated the Tegucigalpa Honduras Temple on March 17, 2013.
The temple became the 141st dedicated temple in operation.
Its dedication marked a major milestone in the history of the Church in Honduras.
Architecture
The Tegucigalpa Honduras Temple contains approximately 28,254 square feet of floor space.
The building rises approximately 135 feet 2 inches, or 41.2 meters.
Its exterior is finished with mountain gray granite from China.
The Central Spire
The temple features a single attached central spire topped by an Angel Moroni statue.
The central spire gives the temple a traditional temple silhouette while remaining relatively simple compared with some of the Church's larger temples.
Temple Facilities
The temple contains:
- Two instruction rooms
- Two sealing rooms
- One baptistry
The instruction rooms use a two-stage progressive design.
The Temple Grounds
The temple occupies a substantial 13.6-acre property.
That gives the building considerable space for landscaping, parking, and supporting facilities.
The temple's location in Residencial Roble Oeste also provides a more spacious setting than the original proposed site near the university.
A Temple at 3,498 Feet
The temple sits at an elevation of approximately 3,498 feet, or 1,066 meters.
That elevation contributes to Tegucigalpa's relatively mild climate compared with many tropical lowland areas of Central America.
Exploring Tegucigalpa
A trip to the Tegucigalpa Honduras Temple offers plenty to see beyond the temple.
The capital region is known for:
- Mountain scenery
- Historic architecture
- Colonial churches
- Museums
- Local markets
- Honduran cuisine
- Scenic overlooks
Basilica of Suyapa
The Basilica of Our Lady of Suyapa is one of the most important religious sites in Honduras.
It is also directly connected to the temple's history because the original temple proposal faced opposition over concerns that the temple would obstruct the basilica's prominence and view.
The eventual relocation allowed the temple and basilica to remain separate landmarks without creating the appearance of religious competition.
Historic Tegucigalpa
The historic center of Tegucigalpa features colorful colonial buildings, churches, plazas, and narrow streets.
The city is built among mountains, giving many parts of the capital dramatic views across the surrounding landscape.
Comayagüela
The temple's official address places it in Comayagüela, which forms part of the capital's metropolitan area alongside Tegucigalpa.
Comayagüela has its own historic identity, markets, churches, and neighborhoods.
Honduran Food
Visitors should also take the opportunity to try traditional Honduran dishes.
Popular foods include:
- Baleadas
- Carne asada
- Tamales
- Pastelitos
- Sopa de caracol
- Beans and rice
- Fried plantains
A baleada—a flour tortilla filled with beans, cheese, cream, and often meat or eggs—is one of the country's most recognizable foods.
Why the Tegucigalpa Temple Matters
The Tegucigalpa Honduras Temple represents a major change in temple access for Honduran Latter-day Saints.
Before its construction, members had to make a 12-hour journey to Guatemala City to attend the temple.
The new temple brought temple worship into the country for the first time.
It also made temple attendance substantially more accessible for Saints in neighboring areas of Nicaragua.
A Temple With an Unusual Construction Story
Few temples have a construction history quite like Tegucigalpa.
The temple effectively had to be started twice.
The first groundbreaking took place in 2007, but construction stopped after excavation because of opposition to the original location.
The Church eventually chose a completely different property and held another groundbreaking in 2009.
That makes the Tegucigalpa Temple one of the more interesting examples of how temple projects can change during development.
A Story of Religious Respect
The relocation also demonstrates the Church's desire to avoid creating unnecessary conflict with other faith communities.
Rather than continue pursuing a location that some felt would overshadow the Basilica of Suyapa, Church officials moved the project.
The temple ultimately found a new home where it could serve Latter-day Saints without creating the appearance of rivalry with another major religious institution.
Current Status
The Tegucigalpa Honduras Temple is currently operating.
Key milestones include:
- Announcement: June 9, 2006
- First groundbreaking: June 9, 2007
- Original site abandoned: January 28, 2009
- Second groundbreaking: September 12, 2009
- Public open house: February 9–March 2, 2013
- Dedication: March 17, 2013
- Current status: Operating
Planning a Temple Visit
Latter-day Saints planning to attend should check the current temple schedule before traveling.
The temple has patron housing, an arrival center, and a distribution center, but there is no public visitors' center.
Because of its location near Toncontín International Airport, the temple can also be incorporated fairly easily into a broader trip through Honduras.
Final Thoughts
The Tegucigalpa Honduras Temple is significant for both its place in Honduran Church history and its unusually complicated construction story.
Announced on June 9, 2006, it became the first temple built in Honduras and the sixth temple in Central America.
For Honduran Saints, the temple solved a major problem. Before its construction, members had to travel approximately 12 hours to the Guatemala City Guatemala Temple to participate in temple ordinances.
But getting the temple built wasn't simple. A first groundbreaking took place in 2007 at a location near the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras. Construction was halted after opposition arose over the temple's proximity to the Basilica of Our Lady of Suyapa. Rather than create a sense of rivalry with the Catholic Church, Church officials relocated the project.
A second groundbreaking took place in 2009 at the temple's current 13.6-acre site in Residencial Roble Oeste.
The completed temple contains 28,254 square feet, with two instruction rooms, two sealing rooms, and a baptistry. Its mountain gray granite exterior and single central spire give it a distinctive appearance in the Honduran capital.
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf dedicated the temple on March 17, 2013, making it the 141st dedicated temple in operation.
Today, the Tegucigalpa Honduras Temple stands as a reminder of how dramatically temple access can change for a growing community. What once required an exhausting international journey can now be done in the Saints' own country.
For Latter-day Saint travelers, a trip to the Tegucigalpa Honduras Temple could combine temple worship with mountain scenery, Honduran culture, historic Tegucigalpa, the Basilica of Suyapa, and the fascinating story of a temple that had to find a new home before it could finally be built.
Scott & Riah
Brough Made
broughmade.com
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