The only Gothic church in the entire country outside of Manila, Molo Church was constructed in 1831 under Fray Pablo Montaño and further expanded and finished by Fray Agapito Buenaflor in 1888 under the supervision of Don Jose Manuel Locsin.

Its two belfries had around 30 bells of different sizes ranging from small handbells to big campaniles making a musical tone. The Gothic character of the church is manifested not only in its two pointed towers but also on the pointed arches at the main altar and four side altars, pulpits and confessionals. The altars, pulpits, and confessionals are intricately adorned with wooden carvings.

The church is dedicated to Sta. Ana, mother of Virgin Mary. While the Jaro Cathedral features male saints attached to the church's columns, Molo Church has female saints all lined up in two rows. The saints on the columns are Sta. Marcela, Apolonia, Genoveva, Isabel, Felicia, Ines, Monica, Magdalena, Juliana, Lucia, Rosa de Lima, Teresa, Clara, Cecilia, Margarita and Marta. On the ceiling above the altar are paintings of the four evangelists; Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

While female saints are housed inside the church, the streets surrounding Molo church are are named after male saints, these saints include San Jose, San Antonio, San Marcos, ans San Pedro. This they say symbolizes how males of Molo give protection to the female.

How to Get To Molo Gothic Church

Molo is a 20-minute drive from downtown Iloilo, all southbound jeepneys pass at Molo Church.

Source

The News Today