Dipolog Cathedral

Dipolog Cathedral
Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Cathedral Parish
Santo Rosario Cathedral
Katedral sa Balaang Birhen sa Santo Rosario (Cebuano) Parokyang Katedral ng Mahal na Birhen ng Kasanto-santuhang Rosaryo (Filipino) Parroquia Catedral de Nuestra Señora del Rosario (Spanish)
Cathedral facade in 2023
Dipolog Cathedral Location in Mindanao Show map of Mindanao mainland Dipolog Cathedral Location in the Philippines Show map of Philippines
8°35′10″N 123°20′45″E / 8.586002°N 123.345736°E / 8.586002; 123.345736
Location	Dipolog, Zamboanga del Norte
Country	Philippines
Denomination	Roman Catholic
History
Status	Cathedral
Founded	1896
Dedication	Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary
Past bishop(s)	Felix S. Zafra Jose R. Manguiran
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Architectural type	Church building
Style	Eclectic
Administration
Archdiocese	Ozamiz
Diocese	Dipolog
Clergy
Bishop(s)	Severo Caermare
Vicar(s)	Enrico Montano Isagani Josol Rafael Licong Jotham Pilayre

Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Cathedral Parish, commonly known as Dipolog Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic church located in Estaka, Dipolog, Zamboanga del Norte in the Philippines. The cathedral is the seat of the Diocese of Dipolog.^[1]

Parishioners fronting the early church facadé in the late 19th-century

The cathedral interior in 2023 featuring its ceiling made of narra

Dipolog was formerly a barrio of Dapitan.^[2] In April 1894, the construction of the church of Dipolog was begun while the first Mass within the completed church was held in June 1894.^[3] The parish of Dipolog was founded on June 30, 1896^[1][3] with Fr. Esteban Yepes, a Jesuit, serving as its first parish priest.^[4] The first church altar of Dipolog was designed by José Rizal while he was exiled in Dapitan.^[2][5] The features of the church are its wooden ceiling, wooden bas relief of the Four Evangelists, massive adobe stone walls, and reredoses, among others.^[4] In 1913, Dipolog formally became a separate town from Dapitan.^[2] The church became a cathedral when the Diocese of Dipolog was canonically founded in 1967.^[1] Reforms brought by the Second Vatican Council changed the church's reredos into a simple one with vertical design and a central bell tower being added to the façade. In 1986, the nave's main columns were removed under the helm of Msgr. Salvador Mora. As part of centennial anniversary of Dipolog's parish foundation in 1996, the cathedral's main reredos was restored with carved marble under Msgr. Esteban Gaudicos. Bishop Jose Manguiran, Dipolog's second bishop, led the cathedral interior renovation in 2007, the original walls restoration in 2008, and the 2009 renovation of the façade. Then Manila cardinal-archbishop Gaudencio Rosales led the blessing of the renovated façade in May 2009.^[4]

In 2021, the cathedral was designated as one of the 500 Jubilee Churches as part of the activities for the quincentennial of Philippine Christianity.^[6]

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