The Cathedral at Jaro, Iloilo

These are photos I took when I visited Patrick on July 2-3, during his school's Founders' Day. I remember I'd planned on taking the later bus but woke up at 3:30 so decided to go on the 5:25 airconditioned bus. On the way, somewhere in the mountains between Mabinay and Kabankalan and around a bend, we came upon this tabo. Fortunately, Bus No. 544's driver has been over this route every single day for quite some time that he has memorized all the market days and all the fiestas of all the barangays and had slowed down considerably even before the bend. For a tabo, it didn't look like much buying-and-selling was going on. Saw people just standing around, looking dazed. I imagined they were surprised at how expensive things had suddenly become.

In Kabankalan, we had to take a detour to the bus terminal because a parade was in progress and though we couldn't see it, we could hear several bands playing different tunes at the same time. Then when we left 15, 20 minutes later, I saw this truck headed north packed with an entire marching band including their majorettes

So, I eventually got to Iloilo and dragged Patrick to the Jaro Cathedral. Beautiful. I've always liked churches, always thought they should be big, grand, breathtaking even. And there is much to be said for natural lighting from skylights and windows. I'm wondering now if this is one of the innumerable inspirations for the renovation of our Cathedral here. If so, they should have hewn closer to the inspiration and kept away from the slightly-luminous-green-tinted skylights/roofing. The natural light streaming in, bathing in golden light the reredos and at certain times maybe even the altar, is so much more appealing to the eyes.

When I took this photo of S. Judas Tadeo I wondered if all these statues of male saints had ever scared the wits out of children. I remember one of my kids used to be scared of mascots; I wonder if he'd have been scared by these saints. They seem so remote up there on their ledges halfway up the columns, so far above the heads of the people that I needed to zoom in to get some detail in the face. Naah, the sight of these saints probably comforted little kids; they're beautiful, they're not moving, and mama says saints are good people.

It was really too dark already to take a proper photo of the belfry across the street and the facade of the Cathedral, but I was leaving the next morning and then I'd have to wait months 'til I could come back for another visit, so... This belfry is far but the one in Laoag was even further, and it was sinking, too! Anyway, I'm sure there's more interesting stuff about this church and it's belfry, so it's time to hit the books.

The Jaro Cathedral. Above the door, in a glass case, is a statue of its patron saint, the Nuestra Senora de la Candelaria. A book says that people believe it's growing, whatever that means.