KATEDRAL SANG JARO and BELFRY (Jaro Cathedral)
Santuario
Nacional de Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria is a Spanish name for National Shrine
of our Lady of the Candles also known as Jaro Cathedral. It is located in the
district of Jaro, Iloilo City province of Iloilo, Western Visayas. The church was
also initially places under the patronage of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary before
it became a Cathedral. On February 2012, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the
Philippines formally declared Jaro Cathedral as National Shrine of Our Lady of the Candles. The
Cathedral was originally built in 1873 under the first Bishop of Jaro, Mariano
Cuartero, O.P. January 1948 the cathedral was destroyed by Lady Caycay
earthquake and later restored under the order by José
María Cuenco, first Archbishop of Jaro in 1956.
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| Jaro Cathedral |
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| Side part of the Cathedral
The Cathedral also makes it more memorable among
the Ilonggo People during the visit of late Saint Pope John Paul II who
conducted a mass on February 21, 1981 and canonically crowned the Lady of the
Candles making it the patroness of Western Visayas.
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| The Altar Table |
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| The Belfry Tower |
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| The Belfry Tower |
The Cathedral is
a Romanesque Revival inspired architecture the only difference of this church is that the
belfry is detached from the main cathedral. Unlike in other shrine that I’ve
visited, the Lady of the Candles situated above the main entrance in front of
the cathedral and very visible along road and it is accessible through the stairs
attached to the façade of the main wall of the church. The Nuestra Señora de la
Candelaria (Our Lady of the Candles) outshine among the all-male ensemble saint’s statues
placed along the walls of the cathedral’s interiors unlike in the Molo Church the
statues are all female. The Our Lady of the Candles is carved out of a façade encased
with a very durable and sturdy glass. It is believed that the limestone is continuously
growing that the Lady of the Candles does not fit its original case and have to
move to its present one.
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| The Our Lady of the Candles Statue |
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| Stairs going to the Our Lady of the Candles |
The Cathedral is somewhat similar to the Molo Church along with its tall and big Holy door and a dome shaped ceiling with paintings of the saints above. A mother and child statue altar that makes the cathedral more sacred and beautiful. Moreover, the cathedral is facing towards its Belfry and the Jaro Plaza, as to this date the Belfry is fully restricted to the public due to possible breakdown of the structure. But we are hopeful for its restoration for us to visit and climb the belfry and see the beauty of Iloilo City above. On the cathedral grounds there are the several parish offices, adoration chapel, and St. Vincent Ferrer Seminary. A few the blocks away beside the Plaza is the Archbishop’s Palace.
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| The Altar |
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| Aisle of the Cathedral along with the all-men ensemble statues |
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| Declaration Plaque |
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| Jaro Cathedral at night |
Mass Schedules
Daily Masses
05:30 AM Hiligaynon
06:00 AM English
06:30 AM Hiligaynon
12:15 NN English
05:30 PM Hiligaynon
Sunday
Mass
05:30
PM Saturday Anticipated Mass in
English
05:00
AM Hiligaynon
06:30
AM English
08:00
AM Hiligaynon, Missa Pro Populo
09:30
AM English Mass
12:00
Nn English (with Charismatic Songs)
03:00
PM English
04:30
PM Hiligaynon
06:00
PM Hiligaynon
07:30
PM English
How
to get to JARO CATHEDRAL
Visiting
Jaro Cathedral is easy to navigate. It is accessible through taxi’s and jeepney’s.
Taxi fare would be approximately 100.00 – 150.00 if you are in the city center
area. But if you’re on a budget and to experience more and more in the city you
can take jeepney’s.
From Iloilo Airport take the Van for Hire going to SM
Supermarket/Jaro SM City route fares usually 70.00.
From Tagbak Terminal take SM City/ Leganes route
fare around 8.00 to 12.00 and if you’re in the City Proper area you can take
all jeeps that has Jaro-CPU and Jaro Liko signs, fares usually 7.00.
Contact
and Information
Address:
Jaro, Iloilo City, Iloilo
Contact No.: (033) 329-1625 and (033) 329-3456
Website: Jaro Cathedral
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