Kalibo Cathedral

The Cathedral Parish of Saint John the Baptist (Aklan: Parokya Katedral it San Juan Bautista), or simply Kalibo Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic cathedral church. The cathedral is the seat of the Diocese of Kalibo. It is situated near the Aklan River in downtown Kalibo, the capital of Aklan province of the Philippines, some 350 kilometres (217 miles) south of Manila.[1]

Kalibo Cathedral
Cathedral Parish of Saint John the Baptist
Parokya Katedral it San Juan Bautista
Diocesan Shrine of Santo Niño
Parroquia Catedral de San Juan el Bautista
Santuario Diocesano del Santo Niño
Kalibo Cathedral facade
Kalibo Cathedral is located in Visayas
Kalibo Cathedral
Kalibo Cathedral
Location in Visayas
Kalibo Cathedral is located in Philippines
Kalibo Cathedral
Kalibo Cathedral
Kalibo Cathedral (Philippines)
11°42′37″N 122°21′49″E
LocationKalibo, Aklan
Country Philippines
DenominationRoman Catholic
History
StatusCathedral
Founded1581, 1680, 1804
DedicationSaint John the Baptist
Consecrated1804
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Architectural typeChurch
StyleBaroque, Modern
Completed1804, 1886, 1947
Demolished1885, 1990
Administration
ArchdioceseCapiz
DioceseKalibo
Clergy
Bishop(s)Jose Corazon T. Tala-oc

History

The cathedral in 2013 with orange painted pilasters.

The cathedral stands as the oldest edifice of worship in the province of Aklan.[2] The mission in Kalibo was founded by the Augustinians in 1581. Saint John the Baptist was chosen as the patron saint when the Kalibo mission was promoted into a parish in 1680. The town site then was at Barrio Laguinbanua in Numancia, 2 kilometres (1 mile) away from the Kalibo present site.[3]

A church was constructed in Laguinbanua but when the town transferred site to its present location in 1804, another church was erected which is the cathedral at present. In 1826, both the church and convent were completed. On May 24, 1885, a massive fire razed the town including the convent which was reconstructed the following year, 1886.

Interior

In 1947, after the World War II, Gabriel M. Reyes, Archbishop of Cebu and later of Manila, personally took a hand in the church reconstruction and remodeling. In 1976, the parish church of Kalibo elevated into a cathedral when the Diocese of Kalibo was erected.[4] On June 14, 1990, an intensity 7.1 earthquake hit Panay Island at 3:41 P.M. with the epicenter at Culasi. The cathedral that is made of bricks suffered cracks on its walls. Then Kalibo Bishop Gabriel V. Reyes, restored and improved the church to accommodate more pilgrims who come to celebrate the feast of the Santo Niño.[3]

Retaining some of the lines characteristic of the post-war church that alludes to earlier church styles, the cathedral of Kalibo is of modern construction. Its architectural design was crafted by the renowned national artist Leandro V. Locsin.[2] Though the principal patron and titular of Kalibo is John the Baptist, the center of attention in this church is the image of the Santo Niño, in whose honor the annual Ati-atihan is celebrated every January.[3]

References

  1. "Cathedral of St. John the Baptist Diocesan Shrine of Santo Niño Kalibo, AKLAN, WESTERN VISAYAS, Philippines". GCatholic. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
  2. "Vibrant Kalibo". Aklan Provincial Government. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
  3. "Vibrant Kalibo". Kalibo Municipal Government. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
  4. "Kalibo Cathedral Historical Timeline". Cathedral Parish of St. John the Baptist- Diocese of Kalibo. March 2, 2021. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
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