DID YOU KNOW that the centuries-old Jaro Metropolitan Cathedral in Iloilo City’s Jaro district, aside from being a place of worship as the National Shrine of Our Lady of Candles, is also the final resting place of several Jareños?
An article in the Candlelight, the weekly paper of the Our Lady of Candles Parish, reported that 43 ancient lapidas or gravestones bearing the names of men, women and youth are found in the interior walls and main posts of the cavernous cathedral.
The mostly marble gravestones are dated as far back to the late 1800s during the waning years of the Spanish colonization of the Philippines.
From the 43 lapidas, there are a total of 74 persons buried within.
Seven lapidas flanking the main altar are of Jaro bishops while the rest are of 67 lay persons.
However, the number does not include yet that of the late Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo who died at 81 years old on July 8, 2022. His urn was also inurned at the cathedral.
Lagdameo was the former president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines. He was named archbishop of Jaro on March 11, 2000. Pope Francis accepted his retirement at the age 77 in 2018.
Why are these Jareños and bishops specially interred in the cathedral?
According to the Candlelight article, those persons deserved such esteemed places within the walls of the revered cathedral because of their admirable deeds such as philanthropy, religious piety and dedication to the church, particularly their significant contribution in building the beautiful cathedral – the home and sanctuary of Our Lady of Candles.
Jose Nereo Lujan, the resident historian and head of the Public Information and Community Affairs Office (PICAO) of the provincial government of Iloilo, provided the names of some of those buried at the cathedral based on the 43 lapidas. Many belonged to prominent Jaro families of yore.
The earliest record of a deceased person buried inside the cathedral was Don Manuel Arguelles, who died on March 26, 1877 at the age of 63.
His lapida bore a statement in Spanish: “Insigne bienhechor de esta Santa Iglesia Cathedral a cuya asiduidad desde el principio hasta su terminacio.” It extolled his role as “distinguished benefactor of this Holy Cathedral Church” who gave full attention and dedication to its construction from the beginning to its completion.
Faustina Catajay who died at 90 years of age in 1917 was the oldest person buried on record.
The youngest, on the other hand, was Josefina Guadarama who died at six years of age in 1912.
Both died at the time when the Philippines was already a colony of the United States of America.
The most recent to be buried, of course, was Archbishop Lagdameo on July 19, 2022 but the last to be buried there before him was his predecessor, the Most Reverend Alberto Jover Piamonte, Archbishop of Jaro who died on December 17, 1998 at the age of 64.
In Archbishop Piamonte’s lapida are the Latin words: “Deditus ac vigilantissimus Pastor Praesulumque exemplar”. It referred to his being a devoted, watchful and exemplary pastor.
Archbishop Piamonte was the 11th Bishop of Jaro; the fourth Filipino Archbishop of Jaro; the first Jareño Archbishop of Jaro; and the first Filipino Advocate of the Sacred Roman Rota.
Adjacent to Archbishop Piamonte’s tomb is the lapida for the Most Reverend James P. McCloskey, the seventh Bishop of Jaro who was also the fourth and the last American Bishop of Jaro and the longest-serving Bishop of Jaro for 25 years.
Another bishop, Most Reverend Frederick Z. Rooker, was the first American and the fourth Bishop of Jaro.
CARVED IN STONE
Among the lay persons interred, reference was made by their many close blood relationships.
The designs of the marble lapidas are prime examples of the prevailing architectural designs of the era.
Catholic religiosity and piety for the deceased are evident in the “angels-cross-wreaths” and “grieving-figures” bas reliefs adorning the lapidas.
Birthdates are indicated by a “flower-burst” symbol; date of death is indicated by a “simple cross”.
There are total of 21 lapidas bearing the tableaux of intricate winged-angel figures, some holding fresh-flower wreaths; others learning on a big cross or tomb.
Remarkably, two lapidas have classical European designs, but with filigree ornamentation protruding upwards from both sides of the roof eaves, perhaps a fond reminder of the preferences of the deceased.
A very interesting lapida is the tableau atop their names features a sleeping infant inside a lacy crib, guarded by a winged angel, and surrounded by heavy lacy drapes. Directly above the baby in the crib is a gossamer canopy held together by a huge King’s crown.
These are reminiscent of our history, culture, and growth as the faithful of this glorious cathedral that stood the test of the time.
For the descendants, many of whom are still around, these lapidas enkindle the memories that should be treasured for keeps. For all of us, this is a lasting legacy and attestation of our unwavering faith and well-regarded generosity.
REST IN PEACE
The others buried in the cathedral were Don Fortunato Ledesma y Ramos / Doña Anselma Yligerio; Bishop Mauricio P. Foley; Sr. Dr. Dn. Federico Z. Rooker; Ilmo. y Rmo. Dr. D. Fr. Mariano Cuartero y Medina; D. Juan Jamora; Teodoro Benedicto / Brigida Ledesma / Juan Crisostomo Benedicto / Sixto Benedicto; D. Manuel Arguelles; Magdalena Javellana / Gregoria Gamboa; Ernesto Jalandoni / Faustina Catajay; Srta. Basilisa Gonzaga y Jopson; Ignacio Javellana / Deogracias Javellana; Benito Montinola y Vasquez; Dn. Mateo Jalandoni / Dña. Eulogia Lopez; Sra. Damiana Gamboa / Sr. Alejandro Gonzalez; Familia Julio Javellana; Maximo Jalandoni / Sofia Jalandoni-Javellana; D. Cristino y Cirilo Javellana; Matilde Jalandoni y Lopez; Maximino Jalandoni y Villalobos / Eduarda Benedicto y Ledesma; Fausto Jalandoni; Juana Javellana / Gregoria Javellana; Severina G. Tarrosa; Prudencia Ledesma de Virto; Felix Gamboa / Benedicta Ledesma / Augusto Gamboa; Martina Homicillada / Valentina Homicillada / Alfonsa Homicillada / Rufino Hechanova y Homicillada / Maria Villalobos y Benedicto; Simeon Ledesma y Lopez / Tomasa Villalobos y Gonzalez; D. Anastacio Ledesma / Clara Lopez; Luisa Quimbiong de Ledesma / Severina Ledesma / Juan Guadarrama / Josefina Guadarrama; D. Petre Grecia / Segunda Grecia; Ligia Jalandoni; Bonifacia Arguelles y Escarilla; Maximiana Arguelles y Escarilla/ Gabriel Montinola y Benedicto / Emilio Montinola y Arguelles; Julia E. Arguelles / D. Cecilio Gamboa y Arguelles; Felix Javelosa; Catalina Jalandoni / Eulalia Habana / Julia Jalandoni; Nicolas Jalandoni y Villalobos / Juan Habana / Vicente Jalandoni; Dña. Marcela Villanueva de Lopez; Archbishop Jose Maria Cuenco; Bishop Leandro Arrue; Maximino Mirasol y Segovia / Natividad J. de Mirasol; and Paulino Mirasol.
The 43rd lapida was unidentified.
Requiescat in pace.
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Note: Most parts of this article are excerpts from the article published by “Candlelight”, the weekly paper of Our Lady of Candles Parish, which is also posted via Archdiocese of Jaro, Commission on Social Communications’ Facebook page)/PN
