Country Philippines Metropolitan Manila | Ecclesiastical province Manila Area 1,828 km (706 sq mi) | |
 | ||
Territory Province of Rizal, and City of Marikina Population
- Total
- Catholics (as of 2015)
3,650,000
3,280,000 (96%) | ||
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.
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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.