The colonial church in the main plaza of Santiago Atitlán dates from the early Spanish colonial period and has been modified many times since, but remains an impressive structure with a wide whitewashed facade overlooking the main square. The interior is notable for the mix of Catholic and Maya iconography — wooden saints are dressed in traditional Tz'utujil textiles, and the carved wooden pulpit features pre-Columbian motifs alongside Christian imagery.
The church is best visited during Sunday Mass when the pews fill with Tz'utujil women in their distinctive red-and-white striped clothing. The square outside is one of the better spots in town to sit and watch daily life. A memorial in the sacristy commemorates Father Stanley Rother, the American priest assassinated here in 1990 and subsequently beatified.