In the founding act of Real de Catorce, signed in 1779, the miners agreed to donate every week an amount of silver for the construction of their temple. Beginning in 1790, the church was run by Franciscans of the Charcas convent. This same year, Catorce was elevated to curia, dependent on the diocese of Guadalajara , and it passed into the hands of secular clergy. Deterioration and its diminutive size gave way to the construction of another parish of larger dimensions.

In 1797, when the bishop Cabañas visited Catorce, the construction had not been finished, but the wooden roof existed and there were 8 altars with the image of the Immaculate Conception painted in perspective, above the main altar inside a glass case. The cupola was constructed in 1800 and was reconstructed soon after. From 1807 Juan Crouset, military engineer and an honored academic from the Academy Real de San Carlos , worked on the construction. He designed the neoclassic facade of the building. The renovated church was inaugurated in 1817.

In 1905, the falling price of silver provoked the near abandonment of Real de Catorce. During the Revolution the worship was obstructed. In 1939, Father Albino Enríquez rescued and restored the church. He redecorated the temple and elevated the tower where the clock that Porfirio Díaz had donated in his visit to the mine of Santa Ana in 1895 was placed. The facade of the parish depicted the image of the Immaculate Conception and elements of the Doric Order. In the interior, dating form the 19 th century, are the floor consisting of movable mesquite platforms and the frescos which adorn the baptistery.

In the cross vaults under the dome of the church, there is a magnificent neoclassic Saint Joseph altar, which conserves the original stucco and a painting of the Virgin of Guadalupe signed by José de Alcíbar. Located in the nave is the Saint Francis altar, finished with a painting of Our Lady of Refuge, patron saint of the miners. Next to the sacristy is a collection of gifts donated to the saint by thankful pilgrims. Here one can see an antique painting of the Immaculate Conception, which is the first image to receive adoration and worship in the chapels. Brought from Zacatecas, it has the same composition as the painting of the Virgin of San Juan de Los Lagos in Jalisco. All the paintings in the church were restored in 1980.

The most venerated image in the church is that of the miraculous Saint Francis of Asisi, better known as “Panchito” or “El Charrito”. This neo-gothic altar was constructed in the end of the 19 th century. Located in the central part of the altar is a wooden sculpture of the saint jointed at the arms and legs so that he can be moved and stood on his feet. His saint's day is October 4th, a date which generates thousands of pilgrims. However, there is always a constant flow of loyal and devoted people from all over the country, especially the northern regions. In one section of the sacristy hundreds of drawings known as “retablos” adorn the walls, popular art by the faithful who leave their gracious thanks to the saints.