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San Vicente Ferrer Church (Leganes, Iloilo)

Coordinates: 10°47′11″N 122°35′25″E / 10.786283°N 122.590217°E / 10.786283; 122.590217
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Leganes Church
San Vicente Ferrer Parish Church
Church facade in 2014
Leganes Church is located in Visayas
Leganes Church
Leganes Church
Location in the Visayas
Leganes Church is located in Philippines
Leganes Church
Leganes Church
Location in the Philippines
10°47′11″N 122°35′25″E / 10.786283°N 122.590217°E / 10.786283; 122.590217
LocationLeganes, Iloilo
CountryPhilippines
DenominationRoman Catholic
History
StatusParish Church and Archdiocesan Shrine
Founded1869
Founder(s)Friar Andres Naves
DedicationSt. Vincent Ferrer
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Architectural typeChurch building
StyleNeoclassical
Completed1889
Specifications
MaterialsReinforced Concrete
Bells1
Administration
ProvinceJaro
ArchdioceseJaro
Clergy
ArchbishopJose Romeo O. Lazo, D.D.
Priest(s)Rev. Msgr. Elmer T. Tababa, P.C.

The Archdiocesan Shrine of Saint Vincent Ferrer, commonly known as Leganes Church, is a neoclassical church dedicated to Saint Vincent Ferrer in Leganes, Iloilo, Philippines under the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Jaro. Its current structure is a result of the numerous restoration efforts which was a necessity because of man-made and natural disasters.[1]

History

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The current San Vicente Ferrer Church was a product of repairs and reconstructions. The first was completed in 1889 under the patronage of Father Eladio Zamora using the materials of tabigue, bamboo and brickwork. It replaced the old chapel which was constructed out of local indigenous materials. The adjoining convent was made out of local wood while the adjacent cemetery was bordered by a bamboo fence.

Strong winds and rain damaged the church and rendered the convent useless during the typhoon that happened on May 10, 1896. Repairs were initiated by Father Fulgencio Rodriguez on the church. Two years after the tragic event, Augustinians handed the church over to the secular priests who have given assistance to the natives since the evangelization started.[1]

On January 25, 1948, the church was severely damaged when the Lady Caycay earthquake with a magnitude of 8.2 struck the whole of Panay Island.[2] The shocks lasted for 70 seconds which devastated almost all the heritage churches within the island.[1] Also recovering from World War II, the church reconstruction only went underway during the 1950s with an addition of a separate bell tower and other supplementary buildings.

Architecture

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Church interior in 2014

The facade is neoclassical expressed through the columns and the pediments at the center with fenestration of arched doorways and windows. The interior is filled with colorful stained glass windows. One of which is an oculus located at the sanctuary wall that lights up the sculpture of St. Vincent Ferrer. Life of the saint is depicted through these stained windows which include his birth, his baptism, the apparition of the Virgin Mary to him, and his death.[1]

It has a central nave and two aisles with lower ceilings flanking it. In front of the right aisle is a simple altar of Jesus and Mary while the baptistery ends the left aisle.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Ducharme, Fergus. "San Vicente Ferrer Church, Leganes, Iloilo, A Jaro Diocesan Shrine". Historic Old Philippines. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
  2. ^ Burgos Jr., Nestor (October 27, 2013). "Quake impact review for megadam urged". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
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