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St.
John the Baptist Parish
+ Igbaras, Iloilo, Philippines Rev. Father Jesusimo
Candado ..... Parish Priest Rev. Father Warlito Provido ..... Coadjutor/ Associate Priest The Lord never ceases to extend His
invitation to “pray the
Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest” (Mt. 9:38). In order to respond to Jesus’ appeal, we
should turn to prayer and ask our Heavenly Father for the gift of vocations
in the Church. We should use our God-given resources to help those who
otherwise can not fulfill their call to the priesthood or the religious life.
If you find it in your heart to extend aid to one of our needy young
Igbarasnon who want to enter the seminary or the convent, please call or
write: IGBARAS VOCATION FUND c/o
Mr. Jose Eduardo Escanlar Hingco Jr. 1168 North Bay View
Avenue Wilmington, California,
USA 90744-3324 Telephone: (310) 549-8005 E-mail:
[email protected] |
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The
History of the Parish
Church No authentic records can establish the date when the town of
Igbaras was established, but for
certain, it is one of the oldest in Iloilo. It is said that is was founded by
Don Diego de Tamooc in the first part of the 18th century. By early 1750’s,
the first church in Igbaras was constructed under the supervision of Padre
Juan Aguado, a pioneer Spanish Missionary. It was made of “tabriya” or
locally quarried limestone blocks with prominent Spanish architecture. Unfortunately,
it was gradually destroyed by floods, along with the Casa Real, and only a
portion of its ruins lie in what is now Riverside in Brgy. 3 to attest to its
existence. Although a substantial portion of the old church was still in use,
construction of a bigger and a grander one was immediately started on the
other side of the plaza in anticipation of the total destruction of the
former by forth coming floods. As there was no immediate need for the new
church and because of the magnitude of work needed, construction was done at
a leisurely pace. The work was further delayed by the outbreak of the
Spanish-American War in 1898 and the Filipino-American war from 1899-1901.
Credits for its completion was given to Fr. John Foller of the Mill Hill
Mission in 1914, though at that time only the roofing was done. The upper
half of the belfry was completed in 1916. A sister parochial convent was also
constructed in 1878 at the time Fr. Celestino Fernandez and was completed in
1881* during the term of Fr. Ignacio Marcos. Like the church, it was also
made of “tabriya” and its floor were made of beautiful black “dungon” lumber,
each piece spanning a yard width. It is said that the Parochial Convent
(rectory) was one of its kind and the most impressive in Iloilo.
Unfortunately, ravaged by World War II, the church and convent (rectory)
could not withstand the great earthquake of 1948. Today, the sad ruins
running from the altar to the belfry remind us that the once awesome and
magnificent edifices gave Igbarasnon so much pride. Fearing another
earthquake, the next church was constructed of bamboo and other light
materials behind the ruins of the altar. The people had to contend with this
structure for a long time. In the meantime, a fund drive was started for the
construction of a more permanent church. The progressive step was taken in
1951 by Rev. Fr. Andrew Jacobs, another Mill Hill Missionary. Within five
years, the new church was built at a cost of P50,000.00 sans floor and doors
was inaugurated on May 22, 1955. With the continuous renovations and repairs
over the years, our Parish Church now stands as a testimony of the
Igbarasnon’s unity and great love for God. *according
to some sources, the construction of the convent (rectory) took place from
1873 to 1877 in between
the terms of Fr. Celestino
Fernandez and
Fr. Jose Laviana Sources: 1940 and 1955 Souvenir
Programs courtesy of Ms. Luisa Esporas and
Mr. Vicente Lourdes Ezpeleta Remember that
wherever you are, this beloved
slogan that Igbarasnon families
heed, do not change: “The
Family that Prays Together, Stays Together” |
