Denomination Roman Catholic Rite Roman Rite Patron saint Elizabeth of Hungary Ecclesiastical province Iloilo | Sui iuris church Latin Church Area 5,303 km² Country Philippines Metropolitan archbishop Angel Lagdameo | |
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Territory Iloilo, Negros Occidental and Antique Population
- Total
- Catholics (as of 2013)
2,867,713
2,460,470 (85.8%) Established May 27, 1865 (Diocese), June 29, 1951 (Archdiocese) Cathedrals Jaro Cathedral, Jaro, Iloilo City, Iloilo City | ||
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Jaro is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines. The cathedral for the archdiocese, the Parish of Our Lady of Candles, also known as the Jaro Cathedral is in Jaro, one of six districts of Iloilo City, Iloilo on Panay Island in the Western Visayas.
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The Archdiocese of Jaro is one of the oldest sees in the country. It was created a diocese by virtue of a papal bull of Pope Pius IX on May 27, 1865, according to a document signed by Archbishop Gregorio Martinez, then Archbishop of Manila, under whole ecclesiastical province the new diocese belonged as suffragan. The Archdiocese of Jaro covers the provinces of Iloilo and Guimaras, an island off Iloilo. San Jose de Antique on Panay, Bacolod, San Carlos and Kabankalan in Negros Occidental, are suffragans.
The Archdiocese has ninety-one parishes, eighty-five of which are under the direction of the diocesan clergy, and six under the direction of the priests from religious orders. Out of a population of 1,761,419, 89% are Catholic. In 2009, the report of the government shows that it has a total population of 2,333,141. The province is predominantly rural with 72.7 percent of the total population residing in rural areas and only 27.3 percent in urban area. Agriculture, forestry and fishing are the leading major industries.
Its titutar patron saint is St. Elizabeth of Hungary, whose feast is celebrated on November 17.
History
The diocese of Jaro whose Patron Saint is St. Elizabeth of Hungary was officially erected by virtue of the Papal bull "Qui Ab Initio" of Pope Pius IX. The bull was issued in Rome on May 27, 1865.
On October 10, 1867 the decree took effect and Jaro was made an Episcopal See, according to the document signed by Dr. D. Gregorio Meliton Martinez, then Archbishop of Manila and executor-delegate of the decree. It is worth noting that this "decretum executorium" was also signed by the Rev. Jose Burgos, Pro-Secretary, a secular priest who became one of the outstanding martyr-heroes of the country.
Jaro was separated from the now Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cebu and became a suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Manila. Its territories at creation comprised the Islands of Panay, (now composed of the provinces of Iloilo, Capiz, Aklan, and Antique), Negros (now provinces of Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental), Romblon, Palawan and Jolo, and the provinces of Cotabato, Zamboanga and Davao on Mindanao. Sr. Dr. Fr. Mariano Cuartero, OP, became its first bishop on April 25, 1868.
In the 20th century the diocese was further divided to form new ecclesiastical jurisdictions. Zamboanga was made a Diocese in 1910 while Palawan was made an Apostolic Prelature in the same year; then Bacolod in 1933, Capiz in 1951 and finally the Prelature of San Jose, Antique in 1962 as suffragans.
Concurrently with the elevation of Jaro to an Archdiocese, the first Filipino Bishop, the Most Rev. Jose Maria Cuenco, DD, PhD, LIB, was raised to the rank of Metropolitan Archbishop, thereby making him the first Archbishop of Jaro.
On January 17, 1976, Pope Paul VI elevated Capiz to the rank of Archdiocese, with the dioceses of Romblon and Kalibo as its suffragans. The Archdiocese of Jaro was left with the dioceses of Bacolod (which eventually was divided into three (3) dioceses, to wit, Bacolod, San Carlos, and Kabankalan) and San Jose de Antique as its suffragans.
Last 2012, the relics of Saint Clare and the pilgrim image of St. Pedro Calungsod visited the Archdiocese.
Last March 15–17, 2013, the pilgrim relics of St. Therese of the Child Jesus visited the Archdiocese a third time.
Cathedral
Suffragan dioceses
Men
Women
Bishops
The current archbishop is the Most Reverend Angel N. Lagdameo D.D. He was born on August 2, 1940 in Lucban in the Province of Quezon in 1940. He attended the San Jose Seminary, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree, a degree in Philosophy in 1954, and a degree in theology in 1965. On December 19, 1964, Lagdameo was ordained a priest in Lucena City. On August 12, 1980, Father Lagdameo was ordained in Lucena Cathedral as the titular bishop of Oreto. He was an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Cebu from 1980 to 1986. In 1986, he was appointed the coadjutor bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Jaro
Affiliated Bishops
Living
Deceased