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Monday, February 03, 2003
Jaro, the seat of Catholicism
JARO'S contribution to the country's great society is significant. It has a remarkable heritage of historical, political, religious, and educational background. When the other leading cities of the Philippines were still struggling communities, Jaro was already a flourishing city...for Jaro then was the center of Catholicism in the Western Visayas if not in the South.
The Diocese of Jaro, or St. Elizabeth's was created by the apostolic Decree of His Holiness Pope Pius IX issued in Rome on May 27, 1865 in the reign of Her Majesty, Doña Isabel II, Queen of Spain. She granted the bulls of Erection, Her "Royal Passage" in accordance with the privilege of the Spanish kings.
The "exequatur" of the Decree was carried into effect on October 10, 1867, according to the document signed in the Metropolitan See of Manila by His Excellency Sr. Dr. Meliton Martinez, executor of the Decree, to whose archdiocese the New Diocese belonged.
Formerly, the Diocese of Jaro was a part of the Diocese of Cebu which covered all of Visayas Island, Mindanao and all the adjoining islands. Since the territory was so vast and could not be by only one Bishop, so the division was an urgent necessity.
The Document from the Holy See runs as follows: "This was very well known to the Bishops of the Diocese of Cebu, or of the Most Holy Name of Jesus. Already and from the year 1841, Santos Marañon, wgo governed that church at the time humbly requests this Holy and Apostolic See to limit the two widely spread territory of this Diocese; and that by the Authority of the Apostolic See, should be created. For this reason, the New Diocese would be called "Jarensis".
One important, yet little known circumstance in the process of carrying into effect the Apostolic Decree of the creation of the Diocese of Jaro is the fact that since the Secretary, the Presbyter, Lic. D. Simeon Ramirez must stay in Manila due to pressure of ecclesiastical affairs, the Pro secretary to substitute in this memorable event was one of the members of the famous Gomburza, the very well known Martyr of the Motherland, the priest and hero, Lic. D. Jose Burgos.
Jaro is cradled in a school belt. Within its bosom are nestled colleges and universities, alma maters of many famous men and women of Iloilo. There is the once exclusive school for women, the Colegio de San Jose which was opened in Iloilo on May 1, 1872, and entrusted to the Sisters of Charity. It was moved to Jaro in 1877 by the Rt. Rev. Marinao Cuartero, Bishop of Jaro, His Excellency, Most Rev. Msgr. Alberto J. Piamonte, as well known Martyr of the Motherland, the priest and hero, Lic. D. Jose Burgos.
Jaro is cradled in a school belt. Within its bosom are nestled colleges and universities, alma maters of many famous men and women of Iloilo. There is the once exclusive school for women, the Colegio de San Jose which was opened in Iloilo on May 1, 1872, and entrusted to the Sisters of Charity. It was moved to Jaro in 1877 by the Rt. Rev. Marinao Cuartero, Bishop of Jaro, His Excellency, Most Rev. Msgr. Alberto J. Piamonte, as well as of a famous wrier, novelist, poetess, a UP awardee, the late Miss Magdalena Jalandoni. The Seminario de San Vicenter de Ferrer, which has just celebrated its 120th Anniversary, gleams with pride, as it reviews the many famous alumni now lording over the many Archdioceses throughout the archipelago. Heading the list is the famous Jaime Cardinal Sin, Archbishop of Manila, Archbishop Alberto J. Piamonte of Jaro, Bishop Nicolas Mondejar of San Carlos, Bishop Fernando Capalla of Iligan, Bishop Raul Martinez of Antique, Bishop Juan Nilmar of Aklan and a lot more...The Seminario is also the Alma Mater of one of our greastest National heroes, and the greatest Filipino orator, author and foremost newspaper man, founder of La Solidaridad, Graciano Lopez Jaena. There is also Central Philippine University, home office of the Convention of the Philippine Baptist Churches in the Philippines, the De Paul College run by the Padres Paules since 1960, the Pope Pius XII. Institute specializing on catechetical Instruction the St. Elizabeth Kinder School of the Parish of Jaro, the Nunnery of Mount Carmel, the Angelicum run by the Dominican fathers, and the St. Joseph Archdiocese Seminary, where over theology students have their last ditch into the priesthood.
Popularly known among the early historians as a "City within the City", Jaro is considered the forerunner of civilization in the Philippines. It is the home of the elite, with its sugar, rice, corn, coconuts, fishponds, prawn, etc.
Attesting to its grandeur, stands the St. Elizabeth Cathedral and surrounded by the magnificent homes of the opulent rich sugar planters and wealthy scions of families who have ruled over the destiny of this historic city.
Spreading out in every nook and corner of Jaro, are mushrooming mansions, condominiums, business establishments, numerous subdivisions that have satisfied the need for the need for more housing facilities due to the growing populations.
The remarkable progress of the Jareños in both civil and religious life, the steadily increasing population of Jaro's faithful...to them have been created two center of worship...the Parish of Doña Monserrat at the Gran Plains Subsdivision and Our Lady of Fatima at Alta Tierra. A chapel at the Lawaan Subdivision answers to the needs of Lawaan faithfuls.
It may be safety concluded that without Jaro, and for that matter her Blessed Patroness, Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria and also the Patroness of Western Visayas, the history of Jaro and probably the Philippines would have been less glorious, For in contribution of National greatness, tiny Jaro has provided the great difference. (Reprinted with permission from the 2003 Jaro Agro-Industrial and Charity Fair souvenir program).
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