ILOILO CITY – The Archdiocese of Jaro here celebrated the 160th anniversary of its establishment by the Vatican.
ARCHBISHOP Midyphil ‘Dodong’ Billones (center) leads the 160th anniversary of the formal creation of the Diocese of Jaro in Iloilo City on Tuesday, May 27. (Archdiocese of Jaro-Commission on Social Communications)
“This is not only a nostalgic recollection of the past memory, but an active reconnection to our dynamic continuing history,” said Archbishop Midyphil “Dodong” Billones in his homily on Tuesday, May 27.
While a Roman Catholic parish was established in Iloilo as early as 1857, it was not until May 27, 1865 when the Vatican recognized the diocese.
In a papal bull, Pope Pius IX officially established the Diocese of Jaro and made Saint Elizabeth of Hungary as its patron saint.
The Diocese of Jaro covered the islands of Panay, Guimaras, Negros, Romblon, Palawan, and parts of Mindanao, including Cotabato, Zamboanga, Davao, and Sulu when it first became a diocese in 1865.
With Mariano Cuartero as its first bishop, the Diocese of Jaro is the fifth oldest in the country.
“To remember that we are the fifth oldest (diocese) is not to gloat in heroic antiquity, but rather to celebrate the progeny of faith that makes us who we are,” said Billones.
Tuesday’s celebration kicked off its 75th anniversary as an archdiocese in June next year.