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Naga Metropolitan Cathedral
Naga Metropolitan Cathedral
Metropolitan Cathedral and Parish of Saint John the Evangelist
Kalakhang Katedral at Parokya ni San Juan Evangelista (Filipino); Catedral Metropolitana y Parroquia de San Juan Evangelista (Spanish);
	Cathedral facade in 2023
	Naga Metropolitan Cathedral Location in Luzon Naga Metropolitan Cathedral Location in the Philippines
	13°37′42″N 123°11′14″E / 13.6282°N 123.1872°E
Location	Naga, Camarines Sur
Country	Philippines
Denomination	Roman Catholic
History
Authorising papal bull	August 14, 1595; 429 years ago
Status	Cathedral
Dedication	John the Evangelist
Dedicated	February 6, 1988; 36 years ago (restoration)
Earlier dedication	April 27, 1843; 181 years ago
Past bishop(s)	Rolando Tirona
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Architect(s)	Bernardo dela Concepción
Architectural type	Church building
Style	Earthquake Baroque-Romanesque
Groundbreaking	1808; 216 years ago
Completed	1843; 181 years ago
Specifications
Capacity	1,450 sitting, 2,300 standing
Number of domes	1
Number of spires	2
Materials	Coral, bricks, cement
Administration
Province	Cáceres
Metropolis	Cáceres
Archdiocese	Cáceres
Parish	St. John the Evangelist
Clergy
Archbishop	Rex Andrew Alarcon
Rector	Domingo R. Florida
Vicar(s)	Roy Arvin A. Raña ; Nellou G. Nierva

The Metropolitan Cathedral and Parish of Saint John the Evangelist, also known as the Naga Metropolitan Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Naga, Camarines Sur, Philippines. It is the seat of the Archdiocese of Caceres. The first church was established after the creation of the archdiocese as the Diocese of Nueva Cáceres in 1595. The present cathedral was built in 1808, and was completed and consecrated in 1843.^[1]

Rex Andrew Alarcon is the present Archbishop of Cáceres, and Domingo R. Florida is the current rector and parish priest of the Naga Metropolitan Cathedral.^[2]

History

The first cathedral built for Naga was founded after the Diocese of Cáceres was established in 1595. It is a suffragan of the Diocese of Manila created by papal bull of August 14, 1595, which also elevated the Diocese of Manila into an archdiocese. The church was destroyed by fire in 1768.^[1]

The construction of the present cathedral in Spanish Romanesque Revival style was begun by Bishop Bernardo de la Concepción in 1808. An earthquake in 1820 damaged the cathedral. It was finished and consecrated under the administration of Tomás Ladrón de Guevara in 1843.^[1] It was damaged by a typhoon in October 1856, and restored by Francisco Gainza in 1862–1879. It was damaged by an earthquake in 1887, and repaired by Obras Publicas under the direction of Bishop Arsenio del Campo and Ricardo Ayuso in 1890.^[3]

During the episcopate of Leonardo Zamora Legaspi, the cathedral was restored beginning in April 1987 under the supervision of Jaime M. San Andres, parish priest of the Saint John the Evangelist Parish, Naga City. On February 6, 1988, during the feast of Saint Pedro Bautista, titular patron of the archdiocese, the metropolitan cathedral was again inaugurated and rededicated by Archbishop Legaspi together with other Bicolano bishops and priests.

Architecture and design

The church presently has a generally cruciform plan and is Romanesque in ornamentation. It is a large stone construction with gabled galvanized iron sheets for roofing, the walls outside has a grey color. Above the crossing is a rectangular dome topped by a cupola.

The front façade has a high arch entrance with two-level, twin pilasters flanking both sides. It has a gentle curvature on both front corners to create the illusion of a softened façade. The façade is topped by a pediment surmounted by a round cupola, with its roof supported by tiny columns. The pediment is flanked by two short, symmetric hexagonal belfries on both ends. The front façade has an overall squat look typical of Earthquake Baroque architecture. The front façade also holds the coat of arms of Castile and León.

Inside the cathedral are arcades to counter the effects of earthquakes that damaged the cathedral in 1820; above the nave and both left and right aisles are supported by four massive series of arches and columns. Each of the massive interior columns, arches, including the ceilings are decorated by trompe-l'œil paintings that were recently done.^[when?] Both sides have stained glass windows.

Gallery

The massive arcades and columns inside the cathedral, designed to counter the effects of earthquakes
The main altar and reredos of the cathedral

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "Cathedral of Naga". National Registry of Historic Sites and Structures in the Philippines. Retrieved on December 8, 2014.
^ Archdiocese of Caceres (July 15, 2023). Solemn Installation of Rev. Fr. Domingo R. Florida (15 July 2023). Retrieved June 9, 2024 – via YouTube.
^ National Historical Institute.Historical Markers:Regions V-XII. Manila:National Historical Institute,1994.