Jaro Cathedral
| Jaro Metropolitan Cathedral | |
|---|---|
| National Shrine of the Our Lady of Candles | |
| Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary | |
Main façade with the stairs leading to the image of Our Lady of Candles | |
Jaro Metropolitan Cathedral Location in the Visayas Jaro Metropolitan Cathedral Location in the Philippines | |
| 10°43′25″N 122°33′22″E / 10.72351°N 122.55622°E | |
| Location | Jaro, Iloilo City |
| Country | Philippines |
| Language(s) | Hiligaynon, English |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| History | |
| Authorising papal bull | May 27, 1865 |
| Status | |
| Founded | March 3, 1575 |
| Dedication | Elizabeth of Hungary |
| Dedicated | May 26, 1965 |
| Consecrated | February 2, 1874 |
| Cult present | Our Lady of 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 | Most Rev. Midyphil B. Billones, D.D. |
| Rector | Rev. Fr. Jose Alberto Guillen, VF |
The Jaro Metropolitan Cathedral, also known as the National Shrine of the Our Lady of Candles, Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, and colloquially as Jaro Cathedral, is a cathedral and national shrine 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.
The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines formally declared the cathedral the National Shrine of Our Lady of 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 distinct and notable feature of the cathedral is its main belfry (Campanario de Jaro) separated across the church's structure in Plaza Jaro.
The image of Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria (Candelaria) perched atop the façade of the cathedral, is the first Marian image canonically crowned in person by a Pope and Saint (John Paul II) in the Philippines and in Asia. Also, through the said canonical crowning event, the Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria has been declared as the official Roman Catholic patron of Western Visayas (including the Negros Occidental province) and Romblon, and made known Jaro as the 'Center of Candelaria devotion in the Philippine islands'.