Jaro Cathedral, formally known as Jaro Metropolitan Cathedral and the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Candles ( es, Santuario Nacional de Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria), is the seat of the
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Jaro
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Jaro is an archdiocese of the Catholic Church headquartered in Jaro, Iloilo City, the Philippines. It is based with the Jaro Cathedral (officially the Metropolitan Cathedral of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, also the N ...
. It is located in the district of
Jaro in
Iloilo City
Iloilo City, officially the City of Iloilo ( hil, Siyudad/Dakbanwa sang Iloilo; fil, Lungsod ng Iloilo), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines on the island of Panay. It is the capital city of th ...
,
Iloilo
Iloilo (), officially the Province of Iloilo ( hil, Kapuoran sang Iloilo; krj, Kapuoran kang Iloilo; tl, Lalawigan ng Iloilo), is a province in the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. Its capital is the City of Iloilo, the r ...
, on the island of
Panay in the
Philippines. It was placed under the patronage of
Saint Elizabeth of Hungary
Elizabeth of Hungary (german: Heilige Elisabeth von Thüringen, hu, Árpád-házi Szent Erzsébet, sk, Svätá Alžbeta Uhorská; 7 July 1207 – 17 November 1231), also known as Saint Elizabeth of Thuringia, or Saint Elisabeth of Thuringia, ...
.
The
Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines
The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines; ceb, Hugpong sa mga Obispo nga Katoliko sa Pilipinas;
bcl, Komperensya kan mga Obispo Katoliko kan Pilipinas; hil, Komperensya sang mga Obispo Katoliko sang Pilipinas; ilo, Kumperensya ti ...
formally declared the cathedral the National Shrine of
Our Lady of the Candles (''
Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria
The Virgin of Candelaria or Our Lady of Candle ( es, Virgen de Candelaria or ''Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria''), popularly called ''La Morenita'', celebrates the Virgin Mary on the island of Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands (Spain). The cen ...
'') in February 2012. The cathedral is the second
national shrine in the
Visayas and
Mindanao, the first being the
Basilica del Santo Niño
The Basílica Menor del Santo Niño de Cebú (Minor Basilica of the Holy Child of Cebú), commonly known as Santo Niño Basilica, is a basilica in Cebu City in the Philippines that was founded in 1565 by Fray Andrés de Urdaneta and Fray Diego de ...
in
Cebu
Cebu (; ceb, Sugbo), officially the Province of Cebu ( ceb, Lalawigan sa Sugbo; tl, Lalawigan ng Cebu; hil, Kapuroan sang Sugbo), is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, and consists of a main island and 167 ...
. Likewise, it is also the second Marian dedicated declared ''"National Shrine"'' church or cathedral in Visayas and Mindanao (first National Shrine in
Western Visayas).
The statue of
Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria
The Virgin of Candelaria or Our Lady of Candle ( es, Virgen de Candelaria or ''Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria''), popularly called ''La Morenita'', celebrates the Virgin Mary on the island of Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands (Spain). The cen ...
(
Candelaria) perched atop the façade of the cathedral, is the first Marian image canonically crowned personal by a Pope and Saint (
John Paul II
Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...
) in the Philippines and Asia. Also, through the said canonical crowning, the
Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria
The Virgin of Candelaria or Our Lady of Candle ( es, Virgen de Candelaria or ''Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria''), popularly called ''La Morenita'', celebrates the Virgin Mary on the island of Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands (Spain). The cen ...
has been declared as the official Roman Catholic patron of
Western Visayas and
Romblon, and made known Jaro as the 'center of Candelaria devotion in the Philippine islands'.
History
Along with the boom of the
sugar industry of the Philippines
As of 2005, the Philippines was the ninth largest sugar producer in the world and second largest sugar producer among the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries, after Thailand, according to Food and Agriculture Organization. ...
especially centered in Iloilo, several churches and schools are constructed in Jaro. The present cathedral structure was finished in 1874 by the first Bishop of Jaro, Mariano Cuartero,
O.P. It was destroyed by the January
1948 Lady Caycay earthquake
The 1948 Lady Caycay earthquake occurred at 01:46 PST ( UTC+08:00) on 25 January 1948 with an estimated moment magnitude of 7.8 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (''Extreme''). The epicenter was between the municipalities of Anini-y, Antiqu ...
and later repaired in 1956 by the first
Archbishop
In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...
of Jaro,
José María Cuenco.
The
Marian image of Our Lady of the Candles also has the distinction of being
canonically crowned personally by Pope
John Paul II
Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...
during his visit to Iloilo City on February 21, 1981, making it as the only Marian figure to be given such stature in the Philippines.
The journalist, national hero, and co-founder of the
Propaganda Movement
The Propaganda Movement encompassed the activities of a group of Filipinos who called for political reforms in their land in the late 19th century, and produced books, leaflets, and newspaper articles to educate others about their goals and is ...
,
Graciano López Jaena, was baptized in the cathedral on December 20, 1856.
The
National Historical Institute of the Philippines declared the Jaro Cathedral an historical landmark in 1976.
In January 2012, the
Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines
The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines; ceb, Hugpong sa mga Obispo nga Katoliko sa Pilipinas;
bcl, Komperensya kan mga Obispo Katoliko kan Pilipinas; hil, Komperensya sang mga Obispo Katoliko sang Pilipinas; ilo, Kumperensya ti ...
approved the cathedral as the ''National Shrine of Our Lady of the Candles'',
the second Marian-dedicated church or cathedral (1st National Shrine in Western Visayas) to receive such status in Visayas and Mindanao.
The current parish priest/cathedral rector is Msgr. Jose Marie Amado Delgado.
Architecture
The shrine is constructed in the
Romanesque Revival
Romanesque Revival (or Neo-Romanesque) is a Architectural style, style of building employed beginning in the mid-19th century inspired by the 11th- and 12th-century Romanesque architecture. Unlike the historic Romanesque style, Romanesque Revival ...
style, deviating from semi-circular arches. A distinctive feature is that the bell tower,
Jaro Belfry, is located across a busy street from the church, on Jaro Plaza, resembling
Ilocos churches. Typically, belfries are built next to their churches. In this case, the tower was adjacent to an earlier church, but an earthquake destroyed the church and left the tower. Another distinctive feature is the stairs attached to the front façade of the cathedral, over the main entrance, leading up to a shrine featuring a statue of Our Lady of the Candles, as can be see in the picture at the top of this article. The church also possesses relics of St.
Josemaría Escrivá.
Another feature of the church is its all-male ensemble of saints placed on the main pillars, with the exception of the Virgin's icon. The arrangement is in response to Molo Church's all-female theme.
On the cathedral grounds are several archdiocesan and parish offices, and a
perpetual adoration chapel. About a block away is the archdiocesan
seminary,
St. Vincent Ferrer Seminary
The Seminario de San Vicente Ferrer (Saint Vincent Ferrer Seminary), also known as San Vicente Ferrer, Seminario or Saint Vincent, is a college-seminary of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Jaro located in Iloilo City. It was founded in 1869 an ...
, and across the plaza is the archbishop's palace.
Famous events
* Our Lady of the Candles canonical crowning - During the apostolic visit of pope and saint John Paul II in 1981 in the Philippines, he crowned the statue of the Our Lady of Candles, the first and only marian image to received such honor without a papal legate in the Philippines and Asia. Such event elevated the status of Candelaria as the patroness of Western Visayas and Jaro Cathedral as center of Candelaria devotion in the Philippine islands.
* Baptisms of notable people - national hero, journalist and propagandist
Graciano Lopez Jaena who was born in Jaro was baptized in Jaro Cathedral. Ilongga senator
Grace Poe
Mary Grace Natividad Sonora Poe-Llamanzares (baptized September 3, 1968) is a Filipino politician, businesswoman, educator, and philanthropist serving as a senator since 2013. She was the chairperson of the Movie and Television Review and Clas ...
, a foundling herself, was found and baptized in Jaro Cathedral.
Gallery
File:Candelaria (Our Lady of Candles of Jaro).jpg, Encased image of Candelaria, patron of Western Visayas
File:DSC_0681_Jaro_Metropolitan_Cathedral.jpg, Jaro Cathedral at night
File:Jaro Cathedral Facade.jpg, Northeast façade of the cathedral.
File:Campanario de Jaro (Jaro Belfry).jpg, Close-up view of the detached belfry
File:Jaro_Cathedral_-_Chapel_of_Lights.jpg, Chapel of Lights (Capilla de Luces)
File:Candelaria (Our Lady of Candles of Jaro).jpg, Shrine of Our Lady of Candles located on the cathedral balcony
File:Jaro Cathedral Altar.jpg, View of the altar
File:Jaro Cathedral Nave.jpg, View of the cathedral nave
File:Jaro Cathedral Side Facade.jpg, Northern flank of the cathedral
File:Jaro Cathedral Heritage Marker.jpg, National Historical Institute marker
File:Dome_of_Jaro_Cathedral.jpg, Dome of Jaro Cathedral
File:Jaro Cathedral (National Shrine of Our Lady of Candles).jpg, Facade of the cathedral
See also
*
Jaro Belfry
*
Crowned Marian images in the Philippines
References
External links
Official website*
ttp://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08323d.htm Archdiocese of Jaro on the Catholic Encyclopediabr>
Archdiocese of Jaro on Catholic-Hierarchy.org
{{Iloilo City
Roman Catholic cathedrals in the Philippines
Roman Catholic churches in Iloilo
Spanish Colonial architecture in the Philippines
Romanesque Revival church buildings in the Philippines
Buildings and structures in Iloilo City
Tourist attractions in Iloilo City
Roman Catholic national shrines in the Philippines
Churches in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Jaro