Roman Catholic Diocese of Baguio

Diocese of Baguio [1] Dioecesis Baghiopolitanus Diocesis ti Baguio
Our Lady of the Atonement Cathedral Mount Mary, Cathedral Loop, Baguio City
Location
Country	Philippines
Territory	City of Baguio, and the Province of Benguet
Ecclesiastical province	Nueva Segovia
Metropolitan	Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia
Statistics
Area	2,655 km2 (1,025 sq mi)
Population - Total - Catholics	(as of 2012) 701,000 509,242 (72.6%)
Parishes	26
Information
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Sui iuris church	Latin Church
Rite	Roman Rite
Established	1992 July 06 (Apostolic Vicariate), 2004 June 24 (Diocese)
Cathedral	Our Lady of the Atonement Cathedral
Patron saint	Our Lady of the Atonement
Secular priests	Diocesan: 41; Religious: 6
Current leadership
Pope	Pope Francis
Bishop	Most Rev. Victor Bendico, D.D.
Metropolitan Archbishop	Marlo Mendoza Peralta
Vicar General	Benedict Castañeda
Website
Website of the Diocese

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Baguio (Latin: Dioecesis Baghiopolitanus) is a Latin Rite suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia on Luzon island in the Philippines.

Its see is Our Lady of Atonement Cathedral in Baguio City, Benguet, Cordillera Administrative Region.

The Bishop of Baguio is Victor B. Bendico who was enthroned in 2017 to replace his excellency Emeritus Bishop Carlito "Otto" J. Cenzon, CICM last January 10, 2017.

History

The Diocese is one of the oldest ecclesiastical territories in the Philippines. It was established as the Apostolic Prefecture of Mountain Provinces on July 15, 1932. The territory that the Diocese of Baguio now spans was split from the bishopric of Nueva Segovia.

On June 10, 1945, the apostolic prefecture was elevated to the Apostolic Vicariate of Mountain Provinces (or Montagnosa), entitling it to a titular bishop. The prefecture received a papal visit from John Paul II in February 1981.

In 1992, the prefecture was renamed the Apostolic Vicariate of Baguio, after ceding territories to form the Apostolic Vicariate of Bontoc-Lagawe and the Apostolic Vicariate of Tabuk.

On June 24, 2004, the prefecture became the Diocese of Baguio, losing its missionary pre-diocesan status and becoming a suffragan of its mother Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia.

Ordinaries and auxiliary episcopate

These ordinaries are all Latin Rite clergy, who are mostly members of missionary congregations.

Apostolic Prefect of Mountain Provinces

• Giuseppe Billiet, Scheutists (C.I.C.M.) † (Appointed November 15, 1935 - Died 1947)

Apostolic Vicars of Mountain Provinces

• William Brasseur, C.I.C.M. † (Appointed June 10, 1948 - retired November 7, 1981), Titular Bishop of Agathonice (1948.06.10 – death 1993.02.01)
• Emiliano Kulhi Madangeng † (7 Nov 1981 - 18 Dec 1987 resigned), Titular Bishop of Trofimiana (1971.04.24 – death 1997.05.06), succeeded as former Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic of Mountain Provinces (1979.07.04 – 1981.11.07), previously Auxiliary Bishop of Mountain Provinces (1971.04.24 – 1979.07.04)
  • Auxiliary Bishop Sebastian Acol Dalis (1987.11.18 – 2000.07.11)

Apostolic Vicars of Baguio

• Ernesto Antolin Salgado (18 Dec 1987 Succeeded - 7 Dec 2000), Titular Bishop of Buruni (1986.10.17 – 2000.12.07), succeeded as former Coadjutor Apostolic Vicar of Mountain Provinces (Philippines) (1986.10.17 – 1987.12.18); later Bishop of Laoag (Philippines) (2000.12.07 – 2005.02.12), Metropolitan Archbishop of Nueva Segovia (Philippines) (2005.02.12 – 2013.12.30)
• Carlito J. Cenzon, C.I.C.M. (2002.01.25 – 24 June 2004 see below), Titular Bishop of Scebatiana (1992.07.06 – 2004.06.24), previously Apostolic Vicar of daughter vicariate Tabuk (Philippines) (1992.07.06 – 2002.01.25)

Suffragan Bishops of Baguio

• Carlito J. Cenzon, C.I.C.M. ( 24 June 2004 - January 10, 2017)
• Victor B. Bendico (January 10, 2017 - present)

See also

• Catholic Church in the Philippines
• Our Lady of Covadonga

References

Sources and External links

• GCatholic with incumbent biography links

Coordinates: 16°24′46″N 120°35′53″E / 16.4128°N 120.5980°E / 16.4128; 120.5980