ILOILO CITY, Iloilo, Philippines — Jaro’s Metropolitan Cathedral is now a National Shrine.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) formally declared the seat of the Archdiocese of Jaro as a National Shrine of Our Lady of Candles during Jaro’s feast last Thursday, February 2.

In his message, Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo urged the faithful to emulate Mary in socially transforming Philippine society.

“Mary, as Mother of mercy and compassion, calls us to be involved in the work of human development and social transformation,” Lagdameo said.

“There is a need to open up to people suffering from poverty and disease, injustice and exploitation, discrimination and alienation, violence and war, and the culture of death,” the prelate emphasized.

The image of Mary, carrying a candle and a child, found at the façade of the church is believed to continuously grow in size and has attracted devotees believing in its miraculous power.

The image of Our Lady of Candles is the only Marian image in the country to be canonically crowned by a Pope. Blessed Pope John Paul II crowned it during his first Philippine visit on February 1981.

The Jaro Metropolitan Cathedral is the second National Shrine in the Visayas, the first one being the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño in Cebu City. The rest of such shrines can be found in Metro Manila and Luzon.

One of the country’s oldest dioceses, the Archdiocese of Jaro was created on May 1865 through a papal bull signed by Pope Pius IX. The diocese used to have jurisdiction over Panay, Negros, Palawan, Romblon, Cotabato, Davao, Jolo, and Zamboanga.