This paper investigates the enduring tensions between colonial legacies and republican institutions in Argentina, focusing on the intersection of religion, politics, and labor conflict. While the 1853 National Constitution enshrined equality regardless of religion, origin, or race, and simultaneously mandated federal support for the Catholic Church, the state has consistently failed to secure the fundamental rights of Indigenous populations. Against this backdrop, the study examines the process of "new evangelization" initiated by the Claretian congregation in 1968 among workers at the El Aguilar mine in Jujuy. Drawing on unpublished archival sources, the analysis highlights the impact of this pastoral initiative on labor disputes and the subsequent repressive policies that unfolded between the late 1960s and the 1970s. By situating this case within broader debates on Catholic political thought and the persistence of colonial structures, the article underscores the dual role of the Church in both sustaining and transforming social, economic, and cultural frameworks in provincial Argentina.