Jaro Cathedral

Jaro Cathedral, formally the Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Jaro District, Iloilo City, Iloilo Province, Philippines. Built in 1864 in Gothic-Romanesque style, it is the seat of the Archdiocese of Jaro and the National Shrine of Our Lady of Candles. Notable for its all-male saints on the pillars, its separate Jaro Belfry across the street, and its Marian image canonically crowned by Pope John Paul II.

Visitors can expect a large Gothic-Romanesque cathedral fronting Jaro Plaza with a distinctive white and cream facade, twin staircases, and a separate three-storey belfry across the road. Inside is a spacious nave with vaulted ceilings, stained-glass windows, and columns topped with statues of male saints. The main altar houses the revered limestone image of Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria (Our Lady of Candles) above the tabernacle. The surrounding plaza, park, and nearby heritage structures provide areas for walking, photography, and attending Mass.

The original church in Jaro was built in 1864 under Bishop Mariano Cuartero, first bishop of Jaro, in Gothic-Romanesque style. It was destroyed by the 1948 Lady Caycay earthquake which also toppled the belfry, and was later restored in the 1950s. It was declared a Historical Landmark by the National Historical Institute in 1976. In 2012, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines declared it the National Shrine of Our Lady of Candles.

The cathedral is the center of devotion to Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria (Our Lady of Candles), the patroness of Western Visayas. The limestone image on the balcony above the altar is believed to be miraculous and was canonically crowned by Pope John Paul II during his visit to Iloilo in 1981, the only Marian image in the Philippines to receive such crowning from a pope in person. It serves as the mother church of the Archdiocese of Jaro and a major pilgrimage site, especially during the February 2 feast.