It was founded by Dominican friars led by Bartolomé de las Casas, the famous social reformer.
In 1564, the Dominican friar and social reformer Bartolomé de las Casas and his fellow monks founded a monastery in Tecpatán, in what is now the Mexican State of Chiapas.
[2] At the time, the church served a much smaller congregation than it could handle, and was designed in preparation for large population growth.
[2] That time, the water levels were so low that the church floor was dry, and local people visited it to hold parties.
[2] In 2015, the Temple reappeared again, after water levels dropped more than 80 feet during a drought,[2] although this time the church was still partially submerged, local fishermen began operating boat tours to the site.