Nuestra Señora de Candelaria de Jaro - Ang Iloy of Western Visayas
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| Nuestra Señora de Candelaria de Jaro |
For centuries, the devotion of the Ilonggos to the Candelaria never waned and it grew stronger as the years passed by. The Virgin in turn showers them with numerous graces for centuries from granting petitions, giving protection to the people of Iloilo and the whole Western Visayas and, apparently, her increase of size through the centuries and it continues up to this day.
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| Details of the image |
The image of Nuestra Señora de Candelaria de Jaro is made of stone and it utilizes the Madonna and Child model. In this image, the Blessed Mother not only holds the Child Jesus but also a candle to allude the prophecy of Simeon that her Child will be the Light of the World and in church tradition, a candle symbolizes Christ as the Light of the World and the Light who will overcome the great darkness.
The image is carved wearing the robes that are en vogue to the Spanish Royal court which gives the impression of Our Lady in her queenly stature as the Queen of Heaven and Earth. A set of crowns for the Mother and Child is seen in the image and the Virgin also sport the diagnostic doce estrellas and she wears an embroidered cape that are given by her devotees as ex votos. The Ilonggos loved their Patroness so much that they regard her as "Ang Iloy" (Which in Ilonggo means "The Mother").
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| Virgen de Candelaria of the Canary islands in Spain |
The title of this image, Our Lady of the Purification and of the Candles, commemorates The Blessed Virgin Mary's ritual purification during the Presentation of Jesus. Halakha (Jewish law) ordered that firstborn sons be redeemed at the Temple in Jerusalem when they are 40 days old. The mother, who expelled blood during the birth, was considered unclean for a week and 33 days thereafter, necessitating her purification at the same time the child is redeemed. This particular event is commemorated with a Feast that is celebrated every February 2.
The devotion to Our Lady of the Candles originated in Spain with the popularity of the devotion to the Virgen de Candelaria venerated in the Canary Islands in Spain where the tribesmen of the island found a statue of Our Lady with an ample amount of wax which is not found in the area at that time and it became a place of pilgrimage until the Spaniards arrived and evangelized them. The Spaniards were surprised with the tribesmen's devotion to Our Lady that it became easy for them to Evangelize and annex the island to Spain. The devotion became so much popular in Spain that during the Spanish conquest, the devotion to the Nuestra Señora de Candelaria became so popular in Mexico, Latin America and here in the Philippines.
The origin of the imageTradition recounts the statue's first appearance in 1587, where a group of fishermen found it floating in the Iloilo River yet could not lift it due to its heavy weight. When the fishermen decided to bring it to Jaro, the image became easier to carry. The statue was initially placed in a small niche near the apex of the local church's central spire. Folklore speaks of the statue's recorded growth in size over the centuries, to the point that it was transferred to the balcony. The image's shrine is accessible today by a flight of steps attached to the cathedral's northeastern façade.
The mystique of Iloy
Since the enthronement of the Candelaria in the Cathedral, strange happenings surround the image which gave the Ilonggos the belief that the Virgin that was found in the river is indeed miraculous. In the olden days, people say that the she has a habit of disappearing early in the morning and was spotted as a beautiful lady with long flowing hair bathing her son in a well found in the middle of the plaza. At the same time, a mist would cover her niche in the cathedral.
Another well known story is that before the Pacific War, the Senora’s place in the cathedral was engulfed in total darkness for days. When it dissipated, the image had miraculously grown larger. Today, the size of the image is already about 5 feet tall and many believe that it is still growing.
Even her own niche, Iloy is very selective. Based on stories of her devotees, she wants to be close and reachable to her children as much as possible. Back in the 1870s, upon the completion of the new cathedral, the statue of the Virgin refused to be taken from her place in the old church. The parishioners suspected that transferring to another shrine does appeal to the Virgin. So they, led by Archbishop Mariano Cuartero, prayed and said Masses to convince her, even when the sky thundered and flashed. Moved by their supplication, the Virgin consented and was installed in her new home at the cathedral after a solemn procession.
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| The Processional image of Virgen de Candelaria |
Another story is that in the 1980 where they are preparing for the Papal Visit of Pope St. John Paul II, the Virgin refused to transfer from her niche to the balcony in front of the church. The parishioners tried to move the image but the chains holding her broke several times. Remembering the old stories, they asked the late Archbishop Msgr. Alberto J. Piamonte to oversee the operation. Upon the direction of the late archbishop, dressed in full regalia, the image was safely placed in her present place – a pediment to the balcony especially constructed for the visit of late Pope John Paul II.
More miracles were reported through the intercession of the Candelaria for centuries that it won the hearts of every Ilonggo and they grew to love her so much and she became much part of their lives and it is still evident up to the present time.
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| The Canonical Coronation of Nuestra Señora de Candelaria de Jaro personally crowned by the Pope - in the person of Pope John Paul II making her the only venerated Marian image in the Philippines canonically crowned personally by a Pope. |
With numerous miracles that the Virgin wrought to her Ilonggo Children, the Virgen de Candelaria received Papal sanction from Pope John Paul II, who personally canonically crowned the statue on 21 February 1981 during his first Apostolic Visit to the Philippines and declaring her as the patroness of Western Visayas. It is thus the only Marian statue in the Philippines personally crowned by a Pope and saint.
Both the Canonical Coronation and the naming of the Virgin as rhe Patroness of Western Visayas are the Official Recognition of what has already been a fact in the spiritual life not just of the people of Panay but also of the whole Western Visayas.
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| Jaro Cathedral - the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Candles |
Along with the boom of the sugar industry of the Philippines especially centered in Iloilo, several churches and schools are constructed in Jaro. The original cathedral was built in 1874 by the first Bishop of Jaro, Mariano Cuartero, O.P. It was destroyed in January 1948 by the Lady Caycay earthquake and later repaired in 1956 by the first Archbishop of Jaro, José María Cuenco.
Pope Pius IX authorised the canonical erection of the Diocese of Jaro on 25 May 1865. Bishop Mariano Cuartero, OP took possession of the diocese in 1868, and later partitioned it into nine dioceses. In 1874, Bishop Cuartero had the cathedral, dedicated to Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, built on the site. The original edifice was among dozens of churches destroyed by the Lady Caycay earthquake, an 8.2 surface wave magnitude tremor which struck Panay Island on 25 January 1948. Pope Pius XII elevated Jaro to an archdiocese on 29 June 1951 via a papal bull and the cathedral was fully restored by 1956 under José María Cuenco, the first Archbishop of Jaro. In January 2012, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines approved "National Shrine of Our Lady of Candles" as an additional name for the cathedral.
Devotion
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| Palapak |
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| Perdon Candles |
With numerous miracles, devotees of Iloy that continues to grow over the centuries it only shows her special love to her Ilonggo devotees and that the Ilonggos in turn are forever indebted to their loving Queen and Protectress, the bearer of the Light of the World.
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