This church is imbued with the spirit of Hermano Pedro de San José de Bethancourt, a Franciscan monk who founded a hospital for the poor in Antigua and earned the gratitude of generations. On the south side are the ruins of the adjoining monastery, with some vivid frescoes still visible amid its earthquake rubble.
Hermano Pedro's intercession is still sought by the ill, who pray fervently by his tomb, housed in an elaborate pavilion since his canonization in 2002. Devotees may enter via a garden north of the church. A museum is haphazardly strewn with relics from the church and Santo Hermano's well-preserved personal belongings, while the corridor is plastered with thank-you notes for miracles attributed to the saint.