Jaro Cathedral
The National Shrine of Our Lady of the Candles (Filipino: Pambansang Dambana ng Mahal na Birhen ng Candelaria; Spanish: Santuario Nacional de Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria), also known as the Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary (Filipino: Kalakhang Katedral ni Santa Isabel ng Ungria; Catedral Metropolitana de Santa Isabel de Hungría) and colloquially as Jaro Cathedral, is a cathedral located in the district of Jaro in Iloilo City, on the island of Panay in the Philippines. The seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Jaro, it was placed under the patronage of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary. It was established in 1575 as a visita (chapel-of-ease) of Oton by the Augustinians and as a separate parish in 1587. The present-day structure of Jaro Cathedral was built in 1874.
| Jaro Cathedral | |
|---|---|
| National Shrine of Our Lady of the Candles | |
| Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary | |
| |
Main façade with the stairs leading to the image of Our Lady of the Candles | |
Jaro Cathedral Jaro Cathedral | |
| 10°43′25″N 122°33′22″E | |
| Location | Jaro, Iloilo City |
| Country | Philippines |
| Language(s) | Hiligaynon, English |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| History | |
| Authorising papal bull | May 27, 1865 |
| Status |
|
| Founded | April 1587 |
| Dedication | Elizabeth of Hungary |
| Dedicated | May 26, 1965 |
| Consecrated | February 2, 1874 |
| Cult(s) present | Our Lady of the Candles |
| Relics held | Josemaría Escrivá |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | National Historical Landmark |
| Designated | 1976 |
| Architectural type | Cathedral |
| Style | Romanesque Revival |
| Groundbreaking | February 22, 1869 |
| Completed | February 2, 1874, May 26, 1965 |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 71.8 m (236 ft) |
| Width | 28.7 m (94 ft) |
| Width across transepts | 49.8 m (163 ft) |
| Other dimensions | Façade facing northeast |
| Number of domes | 1 |
| Number of towers | 3 |
| Administration | |
| Archdiocese | Jaro |
| Deanery | Saint Peter |
| Clergy | |
| Archbishop | Jose Romeo Lazo |
| Rector | Rev. Fr. Jose Alberto Guillen |
| Priest(s) | Rev. Fr. Aris James Java
Rev. Fr. John N. Tadifa Rev. Fr. Theodbriel R. Villariza |
The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines formally declared the cathedral the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Candles (Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria) in 2012. The cathedral is the fourth national shrine in the Visayas and Mindanao, after the Basilica del Santo Niño in Cebu (1965), Mandaue Church (2001), and Virgen de la Regla Church in Lapu-Lapu City (2007). Likewise, it is also the second Marian-dedicated national shrine in Visayas and Mindanao, and the first in Western Visayas.
The image of Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria (Candelaria) perched atop the façade of the cathedral, is the first Marian image canonically crowned personal by a Pope and Saint (John Paul II) in the Philippines and Asia. Also, through the said canonical crowning, the Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria 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'.