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Parish of Immaculate Conception in Oton, Iloilo

Parish of Immaculate Conception is a Roman Catholic church located in the town of Oton, Iloilo, Philippines. It is also called Oton Church. Its parish was erected in 1572, thus it is the first and oldest parish in Iloilo and the first Marian church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception in the country.

History

Oton was called Ogtong before the the Spanish conquest, and its pre-Hispanic center was called Katagman, now San Antonio. Its town was founded in 1570, becoming the first in the island of Panay. Other sources placed its founding in 1566 or 1569. It was also the capital of then Province of Ogtong, currently the province of Iloilo, until 1581 when Arevalo became the seat of the government which lasted until 1688.

Friars of the Augustinian Order founded their chapter house in the town on May 3, 1572, becoming the third after the ones erected in Cebu and Manila. It was also in the same year that the church under the patronage of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception was declared a parish.

The Augustinians abandoned their mission in many places for various reasons, but they never left Oton. The town, an encomienda given to Miguel de Loarca, however suffered greatly at the hands of foreign powers and attacks from Mindanao: the British in 1593, the Dutch in 1630, and Moro raiders in 1662. The church that was built by Friar Martin de Rada was left in ruins after an attack launched by the Dutch under the leadership of Georges Spillberg on September 29, 1614.

The Spanish-era colonial church was built by Fr. Demetrio Cobos who served between 1845 and 1853. Church-building continued and was completed by Fr. Joaquin Fernandez in 1882. Additionally, Fr. Nicolas Gallo was credited for its decorations in the period between 1889 and 1890, and the church was finally consecrated a year after in 1891. Referred to as the Old Oton Church, it was a grand Greek-Byzantine structure incorporating Gothic and Classic motifs with an imposing dome over its crossing and a cupola in its apex. Its shape was a cruciform where transepts and nave were of equal in dimension.

It is no longer in existence.

On January 25, 1948, just three years after the end of the Second World War, an earthquake nicknamed Lady Caycay with an estimated magnitude of 7.8 struck the Philippines that caused widespread destruction. The church was severely damaged, its facade torn down and reduced into rubble. Two bells (a bell cast in 1817 and another donated by Victoria Blanco that was blessed with the name Nuestra Señora del Carmen and installed by Fr. Joaquin Fernandez in 1887) and parts of the church wall remained.

In the aftermath of the earthquake, the church was demolished to give way to the present-day Immaculate Conception Church. Its construction was initiated by Fr. Ernesto L. Calvo, the first Filipino parish priest in Oton, and it took two decades to complete. The new church was blessed on Christmas Day, December 25, 1972. A marker to commemorate its consecration was installed by the main entrance by Fr. Renato Elmido in 1988.

Architecture

The portico in the Immaculate Conception Church is beautifully striking. Its curvilinear roof is supported by four piers with three central barrel vault ceilings, and in both ends it culminates in a straight line. This gives the lower half of its facade a sinuous, soft appearance. It also contrasts with the rest of the facade which is dominated by the church tower rising in the middle. On the face of the tower is a cross painted in brown, which is decorated by pierced wall in its lower two sides while the upper ones with arch openings with balustrade. The tower is topped with an octagonal belfry above which perched the statue of the patron, Lady of the Immaculate Conception, overlooking the forecourt. The image is said to be made of wood and was installed by Fr. Ernesto Calvo in the 1960s.

Flanking the tower are rectilinear church walls, each with three stained glass arch windows (a total of six) depicting half of the 12 apostles. Below each of the arches are three awning windows. The images of other six apostles are found in the interiors in the clerestory (three stained glass windows on each side of the nave wall) facing the apse.

Outside the church a plaza where the statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus greets churchgoers. A grotto of Our Lady of Fatima is believed to contain part of the coral stone wall of the old church.

Celebration

The feast of the Immaculate Conception is held every December 8. It coincides with the Sandiya Festival organized by the local government.

Services

The parish office is open 8:30 AM to 12:00 noon and from 1:00 to 4:00 in the afternoon daily except Monday.

Mass schedule

Below is the weekly mass schedule of Parish of Immaculate Conception in Oton, Iloilo from December 2, 2024 to December 8, 2024. Please reach out to the church for an updated schedule. Additionally, you may also want to view mass schedules of churches in Oton.

Monday

  • 6:00-7:00 AM

Tuesday

  • 6:00-7:00 AM

Wednesday

  • 6:00-7:00 AM
  • 4:30-5:30 PM (Perpetual Help)

Thursday

  • 6:00-7:00 AM

Friday

  • 6:00-7:00 AM

Saturday

  • 6:00-7:00 AM
  • 4:30-5:30 PM (Anticipated Mass)

Sunday

  • 5:00-6:00 AM (Hiligaynon)
  • 6:30-7:30 AM (Hiligaynon)
  • 8:00-9:00 AM (Hiligaynon)
  • 12:00-1:00 PM (Charismatic Mass)
  • 4:00-5:00 PM (English)

Church information

Details
NameParish of Immaculate Conception in Oton, Iloilo
Other NamesOton Church
AddressJ.C. Zuulueta Street, Oton, Iloilo 5020
CountryPhilippines
Contact337-3531
Facebookweb.facebook.com
Religion
DenominationRoman Catholic
FounderFr. Martin de Rada O.S.A.
Established1572
Age452 years
StatusParish
ArchdioceseRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Jaro
VicariateVicariate of St. John
PatronOur Lady of Immaculate Conception
Feast dayDecember 8
Architecture
Completed1972
Age since completed52 years
ConsecratedDecember 25, 1972
BuilderFr. Demetrio Cobos, Fr. Joaquin Fernandez

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