Roman Catholic Diocese of Antipolo

Diocese of Antipolo Diocesis Antipolensis Diyosesis ng Antipolo Diócesis de Antipolo
Ad Iesu per Mariæm
Location
Country	Philippines
Territory	Province of Rizal and Marikina City
Ecclesiastical province	Manila
Metropolitan	Manila
Statistics
Area	1,828 km2 (706 sq mi)
Population - Total - Catholics	(as of 2015) 3,650,000 3,280,000 (96%)
Information
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Sui iuris church	Latin Church
Rite	Roman Rite
Established	January 24, 1983
Cathedral	National Shrine of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage
Patron saint	Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Bishop	Francisco M. De Leon, D.D.
Metropolitan Archbishop	Luis Antonio Tagle
Auxiliary Bishops	Nolly C. Buco, J.C.D., D.D.
Emeritus Bishops	Crisostomo Yalung (2001-2002) Gabriel V. Reyes (2003-2016)
Website
Website of the Diocese

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Antipolo (Lat: Diocesis Antipolensi) is a Roman Rite diocese of the Latin Church of the Catholic Church in the Philippines.

On January 24, 1983, during his Angelus message, Pope John Paul II announced the creation of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Antipolo. It comprised the area of the whole province of Rizal, the entire Marikina City, and part of Pasig City (Barangays Dela Paz, Santolan, Manggahan, Rosario, and Santa Lucia, which altogether formed the Vicariate of Santo Tomas de Villanueva, now belonging to the Diocese of Pasig). It is an area that was previously known in the Archdiocese of Manila as the Ecclesiastical District of Eastern Rizal. The diocese was canonically established on the June 25, 1983 and is a suffragan of the said archdiocese.

The first diocesan bishop of Antipolo was the late Protacio G. Gungon. On December 3, 2001, he was replaced by Crisostomo Yalung as the second diocesan bishop, followed by Gabriel V. Reyes, former Bishop of Kalibo in Aklan as the third diocesan bishop. Bishop Reyes was assisted by the then-auxiliary and coadjutor bishop, Francisco M. De Leon, who was named his successor and fourth diocesan bishop effective September 10, 2016.

The diocese had its First Diocesan Synod in 1993 held at St. Michael's Retreat House in Antipolo City. The diocese has experienced some jurisdictional changes since the time the Diocese of Pasig was created. Around six well-established parishes from the diocese within the civil boundaries of Pasig City was given to the newly established Pasig diocese together with the diocesan priests serving in them.

The Diocese today

At present, the Diocese of Antipolo is considered to be one of the largest local churches in the Philippines in terms of its Catholic population. Diocesan priests serving the diocese is number 85. There are about 30 major (college and theology) seminarians and more than 100 minor (high school) seminarians from the John Paul II Minor Seminary in the diocese. There are also around 50 religious congregations serving the diocese. A good number of lay men and women have dedicated themselves into serving the local church as lay ministers of the Word and communion, catechists, lectors, youth leaders among others.

Among the 86 ecclesiastical jurisdictions present in the Philippines today, the Diocese is the fifth largest local church in terms of its Catholic population after the Archdioceses of Cebu, San Fernando (Pampanga), Manila, and the Diocese of Malolos (Bulacan). The population of the whole area covering the diocese is 3,037,029, of which 2,429,665 (or 80%) are Catholics.

With 74 parishes and 1 quasi-parish that comprise the whole diocese within the whole province of Rizal and the City of Marikina, it has been a common desire among the flock that the Virgin of Antipolo, Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage, may continue to lead each faithful to her Son, Jesus. The diocesan motto is Ad Jesum Per Mariam.

The Antipolo Cathedral is one of the most popular Marian shrines in the country where the much loved and venerated image of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage (the Virgin of Antipolo) is enshrined.

Facade of the Cathedral

Nave of the Cathedral

Ordinaries

• Most Rev. Protacio G. Gungon, D.D. † (June 25, 1983-October 18, 2001)
• Most Rev. Crisostomo A. Yalung, D.D. (December 3, 2001-October 19, 2002)
• Most Rev. Jesse E. Mercado, D.D. - Apostolic Administrator, sede vacante (October 26, 2002-January 22, 2003) (currently Bishop of Parañaque)
• Most Rev. Gabriel V. Reyes, D.D. (January 29, 2003–September 9, 2016)
• Most Rev. Francisco M. De Leon, D.D. (Succeeded, September 10, 2016-present)

Auxiliary Bishops

• Most Rev. Francisco M. De Leon, D.D. (September 1, 2007-November 21, 2015, Appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Antipolo)
• Most Rev. Nolly C. Buco, JCD, D.D. (Ordained, September 8, 2018)

Vicars General

• Very Rev. Msgr. Jose B. Cruz, PA † (1983-1986)
• Very Rev. Msgr. Mariano T. Balbago, Jr.., PC (Ministering in the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C.) (1986-1999)
• Very Rev. Msgr. Rigoberto S. de Guzman, PC, STL (1999-Present)
• Very Rev. Msgr. Generoso A. Mediarito, PC (2018-Present)
• Most Rev. Nolly C. Buco, JCD, D.D. (2018-Present)

Vicariates

Vicariate of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage (Antipolo City; Angono, Rizal; Teresa, Rizal)

• Vicar Forane: Rev. Fr. Jose Victor D. Nepomuceno

Vicariate of Saint Jerome (Binangonan, Rizal; Cardona, Rizal; Morong, Rizal)

• Vicar Forane: Rev. Fr. Vicentico C. Flores Jr.

St. Jerome Parish of Morong

Interior of St. Jerome Parish

Vicariate of Saint Ildephonsus (Pililla, Rizal; Tanay, Rizal; Baras, Rizal; Jala-Jala, Rizal)

• Vicar Forane: Rev. Fr. Manuel S. Cuevas

Tanay Church, National Cultural Treasure

Tanay Church Altar

Vicariate of the Saint John the Baptist (Taytay, Rizal; Angono, Rizal)

• Vicar Forane: Rev. Fr. Joselito R. Rocero

St. John the Baptist Church, Taytay, Rizal

Interior of the Taytay Church

Vicariate of Our Lady of the Light (Cainta, Rizal; Taytay, Rizal)

• Vicar Forane: Rev. Fr. Francisco Louie M. Deang

Our Lady of Light Church, Cainta

Interior of Our Lady of Light Church

Vicariate of Saint Francis Xavier (Antipolo City)

• Vicar Forane: Rev. Fr. Bienvenido C. Miguel, Jr.

St. Francis Xavier Parish, Mayamot, Antipolo City

Altar of St. Francis Xavier Parish

Vicariate of Our Lady of Aranzazu (San Mateo, Rizal; Rodriguez, Rizal)

• Vicar Forane: Rev. Fr. Rodrigo R. Eguia

Diocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Aranzazu in San Mateo

Interior of San Mateo Church

Vicariate of the Immaculate Conception (northern part of Marikina City)

• Vicar Forane:

Immaculate Conception Church, Bayan-Bayanan

Altar of Immaculate Conception Church

Vicariate of Our Lady of the Abandoned (southern part of Marikina City; Cainta, Rizal)

• Vicar Forane: Rev. Fr. Peter Ymari C. Balatbat

Our Lady of the Abandoned Shrine, Marikina

Interior of Our Lady of the Abandoned, Marikina

See also

• Catholic Church in the Philippines
• John Paul II Minor Seminary

Coordinates: 14°35′15″N 121°10′37″E / 14.5876°N 121.1770°E / 14.5876; 121.1770

References