the facade of the new and old church

The town is formerly known as Matagup. Janiuay prides itself with its glorious church and cemetery. The old fortress was dedicated to San Julian and built with bricks baked from oven during the incumbency of Fr. Miguel Carod in the 1850s. The interior is Tuscanic and the interior is of Doric order. The new church made of materials from the Guimaras Island replaced the former church that was burnt down by Japanese invaders in 1942. The original structure was not restored. The new church rests beside the ruins of the old one.

the front of the old janiuay catholic church

During the Japanese era, it was destroyed. They utilized the stones for their landing field at Tiring, Cabatuan.

Location          : Janiuay, Iloilo

Feast Day         : January 28

one of the three gates of the janiuay cemetery

It took nine years to complete the breathtaking necropolis on top of the hill despite the fact that 600 men worked to complete the structure. The construction started in 1874 under the supervision of Fr. Fernando Llorente and is Gothic in design. The Byzantine cross that measures 7” x 4” ft under the arch of the main gate was carried off by 52 carabaos to the site. Twelve stone slabs composed the three wide stairway leading to the three main entrance gates of the cemetery and 16 ft high stone statues enshrined.