Roman Catholic Diocese of Antipolo

Diocese of Antipolo Dioecesis Antipolensis Diyosesis ng Antipolo
National Shrine of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage of Antipolo
Location
Country	Philippines
Territory	Province of Rizal, and City of Marikina
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	Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Antipolo
Patron saint	Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Bishop	Most Rev. Francisco M. De Leon, D.D.
Metropolitan Archbishop	Luis Antonio Tagle
Vicar General	Rigoberto De Guzman
Emeritus Bishops	Protacio G. Gungon (†) (1983-2001) Crisostomo Yalung (2001-2002) Gabriel V. Reyes (2003-2016)
Website
Website of the Diocese

Most Rev. Gabriel V. Reyes, D.D., Bishop of Antipolo, Presider, Homilist at Golden/Silver Jubilee, August 15, 2012, Our Lady of the Assumption Chapel, Religious of the Virgin Mary Motherhouse

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

On January 23, 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 (the former 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 the 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 76. There are about 30 major (college and theology) seminarians and 117 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 66 parishes 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.

2013 photo of the Cathedral

2012 photo

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. (September 10, 2016-present)

Bishop

• Most Rev. Francisco M. De Leon, D.D. (2007 - September 10, 2016)

Vicars General

• Rev. Msgr. Jose B. Cruz, P.A. † (1983-1986)
• Rev. Msgr. Mariano T. Balbago, Jr.., P.C. (Ministering in the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C.) (1986-1999)
• Rev. Msgr. Rigoberto S. de Guzman, P.C. (appointed in 1999)

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.

Vicariate of San Ildefonso (Pililla, Rizal; Tanay, Rizal; Baras, Rizal; Jala-Jala, Rizal)

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

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

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

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

• Vicar Forane: Vacant

Vicariate of Saint Francis Xavier (Antipolo City)

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

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

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

Vicariate of Immaculate Conception (Marikina City)

• Vicar Forane: Rev. Fr. Luisito S. Atanacio

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

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

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