One of the first hours of the city of Calama (2,250 meters above sea level and 215 kilometers northeast of Antofagasta) was located on the Balmaceda Avenue, opposite the city railway station and burned down in 1906, after a devastating earthquake. In the same year the bishops had issued a decree on the construction of the new church with its arrival to the city of Calama. The document was signed on 22 January 1906 by the Apostolic Vicar of Antofagasta, Monsignor Luis Silva Lezaeta bishop of the Church of San Francisco de Chiu-Chiu.

The first recording, made in the registration book of the arrival of Calama, the priest Pedro Durango states that the first person who dipped into the font of the new parish was Carolina Vasquez Garcia, record dates back from April 1, 1906. For years the church Calama did not work regularly, and as a temporary chapel. Priest Jose Franta insisted that the long-awaited temple building was finally erected on the square named March 23. Sam's father Franta, dressed in simple clothing, from sunrise to sunset worked tirelessly. He laid the foundation and erected the wall with his assistants, has done everything to accelerate the construction of the church.

In 1927 it has been fully constructed walls and roof of the church de Calama, where the first Mass held Bishop Luis Silva Lezaeta. But finally the temple will be built only after many years.

His Holiness Pope Paul VI in 1965 issued a bull on the allocation of the Archdiocese of Calama Antofagasta and Calama construction of the church to the rank of Cathedral.

In 2001, reconstruction of the building of the cathedral on the donations of the Chilean National corporation Codelco (the world's largest copper producer).