San Jualian de Cuenca Church, also called Janiuay Church, is a Roman Catholic Church located in Janiuay, Iloilo, Philippines. It is under the patronage of St. Julian, the second bishop of Cuenca, Spain.
Table of Contents
History
There are historical records that show the Augustinians reached the town of Janiuay in the early years of the Spanish conquest. It was a visita of Dumangas in 1578 and became a parish founded by Fr. Eugenio de Moya, O.S.A. in 1752.
The town was known in Hispanic times as Matagup or Matagub, and it was organized in 1738 when Governor General Francisco Javier de la Torre ordered the area to be made into a settlement and chieftain Datu Buhawi of Yabon submitted to the Spanish rule. Interestingly, the Facebook page of the San Julian de Cuenca Church shows 1738.
In 1770, the town was moved to its present-day location. One of its famous historic spot is the Roman Catholic Cemetery of Janiuay, a Neo-Gothic and Byzantine necropolis with three grand staircases.
The first church was built by Fr. Juan Aguado beginning in 1761 and its construction continued in the term of Fr. Jose Gorrosari in 1769. The Spanish colonial stone church was built by Fr. Miguel Carod, O.S.A. starting in 1830. It was completed in 1868. The renovation of the convent from 1893 to 1895 is credited to Fr. Nicolas Gallon. Coral stones were quarried from the island of Guimaras and they were freighted in ships called balsa.
During the Second World War, Filipino army burned the church to prevent the Japanese forces that reached the island of Panay in 1942 from using it as a garrison. No reconstruction was carried out, and thus it is left in ruins. A new church was built in a site nearby.
Architecture
Both the Spanish-era and new churches of San Julian de Cuenca sit on hilltop overlooking the pueblo. The old church was made of red bricks and coral stones with Neoclassical elements, and it is located in the gospel side of the new one.
The facade of the new San Julian de Cuenca Church is contemporary. It is characterized with pierced church walls (including the bell tower that rises in the epistle side) of lattice-work of decorative motif, as well as elongated forms, rectilinear lines, and graduated and textured surfaces. The dome that crowns the belfry makes an interesting contrast.
Churchgoers and visitors go through a flight of stairs up to the church. Entry is through a portico and just above the entrance, the cross and the symbol of the Blessed Sacrament: an ostensorium bearing a Eucharistic host. In the interiors, the clerestory is pierced with twin arch windows that face the main nave. Apertures in the side nave walls bear stained glass and cross motif.
Celebration
The feast day of St. Julian of Cuenca is held every January 28, and the town celebrates the Lanot Festival that was launched in 2005.
Services
The parish office is open 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM from Tuesday to Saturday. On Sunday, it is open 8:00 AM to 11:30 AM.
Mass schedule
Below is the weekly mass schedule of San Julian de Cuenca Church in Janiuay, Iloilo from May 12, 2025 to May 18, 2025. Please reach out to the church for an updated schedule. Additionally, you may also want to view mass schedules of churches in Janiuay.
Monday
- 5:30-6:30 AM
Tuesday
- 5:30-6:30 AM
Wednesday
- 5:30-6:30 AM
Thursday
- 5:30-6:30 AM
Friday
- 5:30-6:30 AM
Saturday
- 5:30-6:30 AM
- 4:00-5:00 PM (Anticipated Mass)
Sunday
- 5:30-6:30 AM
- 7:30-8:30 AM
- 4:00-5:00 PM
Church information
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Name | San Julian de Cuenca Church in Janiuay, Iloilo |
| Other Names | Janiuay Church |
| Address | Janiuay, 5034 Iloilo |
| Country | Philippines |
| Contact | +63 33 317 1816 |
| sanjuliandecuenca@gmail.com | |
| web.facebook.com | |
| Religion | |
| Established | 1868 |
| Age | 157 years |
| Status | Parish |
| Archdiocese | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Jaro |
| Vicariate | Vicariate of St. Simon the Zealot |
| Patron | St. Julian of Cuenca |
| Feast day | January 28 |
| Architecture | |
| Builder | Fr. Miguel Carod, O.S.A. |
| Style | Neoclassical |
Nearby Churches
References
- Marin, Bombette G. Janiuay launches ‘Lanot’ Festival. The News Today. December 2, 2005. Retrieved October 26, 2022
- 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 26, 2022
- Janiuay. Provincial Government of Iloilo. Retrieved October 26, 2022
- Marin, Bombette G. Best Historic Sites in Iloilo. Iloilo Business Park. April 22, 2016. Retrieved October 26, 2022
- Sembrano, Edgar Allan M. Romantic mélange of architectural styles distinguishes Spanish-era cemetery of Janiuay, Iloilo. Philippine Daily Inquirer. October 30, 2017. Retrieved October 26, 2022