JARO Metropolitan Cathedral in Iloilo City. (Tara Yap)
ILOILO CITY — The Archdiocese of Jaro celebrates two milestones – its 161st canonical anniversary on May 27 and the 61st dedication of Jaro Cathedral here on May 26.
“A Catholic faithful of Jaro fully conscious of the affiliation that he or she belongs to Christ and to the local church of Jaro should be a source of collective identify and destiny,” said Archbishop Midyphil “Dodong” Billones in a circular letter.
The Vatican held the canonical erection of the diocese for Iloilo on May 27, 1865. It will celebrate its 75th anniversary as an archdiocese on June 29.
The May 26th celebration remembers the 1965 dedication of the Jaro Metropolitan Cathedral which was restored after it was damaged by the 1948 Lady Caycay earthquake.
The archdiocese's social media said “the church's dedication was also made possible after the freestanding altar was erected to adapt to the reforms brought about by the Second Vatican Council.”
“May we enter a celebration of transformative meanings and hopeful beginnings,” added Billones.