History of Alimodian Catholic Church
December 5, 1859, the cornerstone of the church of Alimodian was laid down through the signing of documents by the Spanish officials of the church and town. Together with coins and one gold necklace, these were buried under the main door of the church. The air was filled with the singing of the Te Deum, Laudamus Letania de San Marcos and the ringing of the ch
urch’s bells. Then, Kapitan Timoteo Amarra, the town’s Gobernadorcillo, called for the people about the plans of Fr. Florencio Martin of building a more robust and resilient church. Thus, the construction of the Alimodian Catholic Church caused much hardships and sacrifices on the town people. Forced labor or polo y servicios was utilized, especially among men aged 15 to 60 to work for 40 days in the construction of the church as well as gathering of materials. They gathered tabla from the nearby town of Camando (now Leon), Iloilo, carried them manually in their shoulders or through the use of caroza. Some men made tiza or bricks out of clay which was mixed by human feet or by carabao, then moulded them into squares and rectangles and burned in kiln. Tiza were used for walls, roofs and floors of the church. Each cabeza de barangay was given a quota of materials to be delivered to the construction site. But those who were not able to fulfill their quota were scourged or flogged. The laborers were not paid and they even provided their own food. While men laid their sweat and blood for the church construction, women and children gathered white stones and made them into lime used as plasters in bricks and tabla or stone tablets. It was said that the belfry of the Alimodian church was one of the tallest and the most beautiful in Panay and Negros. Another beautiful feature of the church is its seven bells which said to give the loudest and the most melodious chime. When World War II occurred in the early 1940s, the beautiful convent of the Alimodian church served as a safe haven to rich families from Iloilo City like the Ysmael and Caram families who were friends of Fr. Mariano Perez, the Parish Priest during that time. But when the Japanese landed in Oton, Iloilo on April 16, 1942, the people of Alimodian slowly left the poblacion and escaped to the mountains. Thus, the church’s convent was targeted by robbers and looters. While they raided the convent, a spark from a matchstick caused a can of gasoline to burst which burned the entire building leaving only its tiza and tabla ruins. Then, a month later, upon the order of the civil government leader, the church was burned so it would not be used by the Japanese guerillas as hiding place and storage. Yet, only the rafters, roofs and the interior furnishings and decorations of the church got burned because the base and walls were made of tabla and tiza. That base and walls are what we can still see up to now. In January 1948, a disastrous earthquake, called “Lady Kaykay” hit the whole Panay Island, most especially the province of Iloilo. This caused the collapse of some parts of the Alimodian church, the convent and the belfry. About two-thirds of the belfry was destroyed. For quite some time, the church was abandoned and neglected. People built a temporary building on the southern part of the ruins which served as their place of worship. The ruined church was renovated and was re-opened for public worship in 1951. Some more renovations were done by the priests assigned in the parish. Major renovations such as the dome and retableau were done in the late 1900s. A new convent was also built at the back portion of the church. The ruins of the old convent was renovated and made into a big social hall to host religious gatherings and receptions. Ilonggo historians, Professors Henry F. Funtecha and Melanie J. Padilla wrote in their book that the Alimodian church is considered as one of the tourist spots of Alimodian because of its antique beauty and architecture. The walls do not appear so strong yet they were able to withstand countless disasters. They showcase the faith and devotions of the Alimodiananons. Through the intercession of its Patron Saint, St. Thomas of Villanova, whose feast is celebrated every twenty-second of September, the ninety percent of the 38,408 population of Alimodian comprising the Basic Ecclesial Communities in the 51 barangays of the town is a proof that faith is stronger than storms. Written by:
Rona Dhel C. Alingasa
Reference:
Funtecha, H. (1999). Historical landmarks and monuments of Iloilo. Tokyo, Japan: The Toyota Foundation, Inc.
