St. Jerome Church is an old Roman Catholic church located in the town of Dueñas, Iloilo, Philippines. It is also called San Geronimo Church and Dueñas Church after the name of the place.
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History
Spanish colonizer Miguel Lopez de Legazpi assigned Dueñas as an encomienda to Diego Lopez de Valdepenas. Established in 1590, Dueñas used to be called Sumandig. No records of priests who administered to the natives in those times exist, and by 1599 it was referred to as Sibucao. In 1603, it became a visita of Dumangas but two years later it became an independent parish once again. Its name was changed one more time in 1608 and it was called Laglag, presently Baranga Pader in the municipality of Dueñas. The first few priests in historical records were Fr. Pedro del Castillo and Fr. Lucas de Peña who served in 1607.
In 1668, it was annexed to Passi and then it ceded the next year. In 1845, the town center was moved to the present site and called Dueñas after the hometown of Fr. Florencio Martin who initiated the move and who came from Dueñas in Palencia, Spain.
St. Jerome Church in Dueñas, Iloilo was constructed in 1884. Its pediment on the other hand shows an inscription of 1878.
Architecture
It is built in Tuscan architecture, standing out from other churches in Iloilo that generally follow elements of the Baroque and Renaissance. Columns of Tuscan order flank the facade, and it is framed by the huge bell towers with pilasters.
The church wall is pierced by arches and round openings. One enters through an archway; above it is a veranda with balustrade and corbels. On each side of the entryway are niches of holy figures and above them are emblems in high relief.
The upper story is dominated by the belfries and pediment. The pediment is an intricate curved crowned by cornices, gable, and cross. On the gable is blind rose window that bears the Eye of Providence encapsulated in a triangle that represents the Holy Trinity. Moreover, the belfries are octagonal and decorated by balustrade, lantern, and cupola.
Celebration
The feast of St. Jerome is held every September 30. The municipal government celebrates the Anihan Festival.
Mass schedule
Below is the weekly mass schedule of St. Jerome Church in Dueñas, Iloilo from June 9, 2025 to June 15, 2025. Please reach out to the church for an updated schedule. Additionally, you may also want to view mass schedules of churches in Dueñas.
Monday
- No mass schedule found.
Tuesday
- No mass schedule found.
Wednesday
- No mass schedule found.
Thursday
- No mass schedule found.
Friday
- No mass schedule found.
Saturday
- No mass schedule found.
Sunday
- 5:30-6:30 AM
- 7:30-8:30 AM (Facebook Live)
Church information
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Name | St. Jerome Church in Dueñas, Iloilo |
| Other Names | Dueñas Church |
| Address | Pobacion, Dueñas, 5038 Iloilo |
| Country | Philippines |
| www.facebook.com | |
| Religion | |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Established | 1590 |
| Age | 435 years |
| Status | Parish |
| Archdiocese | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Jaro |
| Vicariate | Vicariate of St. Andrew |
| Patron | St. Jerome |
| Feast day | September 30 |
| Architecture | |
| Completed | 1884 |
| Age since completed | 141 years |
| Style | Tuscan |
Nearby Churches
- Mary Help of Christians Church in San Enrique, Iloilo
- Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Sto. Tomas, Passi City, Iloilo
- San Guillermo Church in Passi City, Iloilo
- St. Joseph Church in Salngan, Passi City, Iloilo
References
- Paul Dumol, PhD, Grace Concepcion, PhD, and E.J. Ofilada (August 15, 2020). Research Update: Foundation Dates for “The Pueblos of Panay”. Center for Research and Communication. Retrieved October 31, 2022
- Dueñas. Provincial Government of Iloilo. Retrieved October 31, 2022
- Marin, Bombette G. Dueñas exposed! The News Today. September 23, 2005. Retrieved October 31, 2022
- Duenas Church. Filipinas Heritage Library. Retrieved October 31, 2022