San Sebastian Cathedral
| San Sebastian Cathedral | |
|---|---|
The San Sebastian Cathedral is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bacolod
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| Basic information | |
| Location | Bacolod City, Negros Occidental, Philippines |
| Geographic coordinates | 10°40′12″N 122°56′49″E / 10.670007°N 122.946944°ECoordinates: 10°40′12″N 122°56′49″E / 10.670007°N 122.946944°E |
| Affiliation | Roman Catholic |
| Country | Philippines |
| Year consecrated | 23 June 1933 |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Cathedral |
| Status | active |
| Architectural description | |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Architectural style | Baroque |
| Groundbreaking | 27 April 1876 |
| Completed | 20 January 1882 |
| Materials | Coral stone |
The San Sebastian Cathedral is a late 19th-century church in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental in the Philippines. It is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bacolod.
A small village inhabited by Malayans called Magsungay was placed under the protection of St. Sebastian by early Christian missionaries during the 1700s. This village was later came to be known as San Sebastian de Magsungay and was put under the governance of Bernardo de los Santos, the village’s first gobernadorcillo. Due to widespread Moro pirate attacks, the people of Magsungay moved to a new settlement upon the hilly terrain called bakólod, the precursor of the modern-day city of Bacolod. In 1806, Fr. Leon Pedro was appointed as its first parish priest. Years later, Fr. Gonzaga, a young priest from Barcelona, would envision the construction of the San Sebastian Church.
Fr. Julian (or Juan) Gonzaga, from Barcelona, Spain, the parish priest from 1818-1836, constructed the original church in 1825. It was made of wood with galvanized iron roof. The church initially possessed a medium-sized bell. Donations of other church bells were made by Fr. Roman Manuel Locsin, who gave a large one, and Fr. Mariano de Avila, who gave another when he became the parish priest in 1863 after the death of Fr. Locsin.
Construction of the structure in its present form began on 27 April 1876 under the leadership of Fr. Mauricio Ferrero, OAR. Prison labor was provided by the politico-military Governor, Roman Pastor, who prevailed upon Fr. Ferrero to also design and supervise the construction of a stone prison, the old Provincial Jail.Coral stone from the island of Guimaras was used as the primary building material. Hardwood from trees in Palawan was used for wooden portions of the structure. Fr. Mariano de Avila's bell was installed in the bell tower during the church's construction. Bishop Mariano Cuartero of the Archdiocese of Jaro consecrated the church on the eve of the feast of Saint Sebastian, 19 January 1882. The following day Bishop Cuartero celebrated pontifical mass before a congregation of government and Church officials of the province and Iloilo, parish priests and leading citizens.
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