Metropolitan Manila Phone +63 2 723 5116 | Ecclesiastical province Manila Area 76 km² Bishop Honesto Ongtioco | |
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Population- Total- Catholics (as of 2006)1,297,0411,142,044 (88%) Similar The Immaculate Concepti, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Sacred Heart Parish Sh, Our Lady of Mt Carmel Shrine, Immaculate Conception Cathedral Profiles | ||
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Cubao (Latin: Dioecesis Cubaoensis) is a Roman Rite diocese of the Latin Church of the Catholic Church in the Philippines. The diocese was created by Pope John Paul II on June 28, 2003 by virtue of Papal Bull Quo Satius Provideretur, and was canonically erected on August 28, 2003, Feast of Saint Augustine, from the Archdiocese of Manila. The diocese previously existed as the Ecclesiastical District of Quezon-City South (renamed the district of Cubao in 2002).
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Territorial Jurisdiction
The diocese comprises the southern part of Quezon City, starting from Tandang Sora Avenue and Mactan Street leading throughout the south of the city. particularly the three (3) legislative districts of the city in the south: District 1 (all barangays), District 3 (except Barangays Camp Aguinaldo, Matandang Balara and Mary, Queen of Peace Shrine in Brgy. Ugong Norte along EDSA-Ortigas), and District 4 (except the lower part of Barangay Bagong Lipunan ng Crame), with some barangays from District 6, namely Barangay Sangandaan, Baesa, Apolonio Samson, Unang Sigaw, Balon-bato (or Balumbato), New Era, and Culiat (only southern portion across Tandang Sora Avenue).
Camp Aguinaldo and the portion of Crame south of Bonny Serrano Avenue, with Veterans Memorial Medical Center along North Avenue, Project 6, are under the jurisdiction of the Military Ordinariate of the Philippines, whereas Mary, Queen of Peace Shrine along EDSA corner Ortigas Avenue, Barangay Ugong Norte belongs to the Archdiocese of Manila and Barangay Matandang Balara under the Diocese of Novaliches.
History
February 6, 1579 Pope Gregory XIII established the Diocese of Manila, a suffragan of Mexico.
August 14, 1595 Pope Clement VIII raised the Diocese of Manila to the rank of Archdiocese. At the same time, three new dioceses were established as suffragan sees of Manila, namely: Nueva Cáceres comprising Southern Luzon and the whole Bicol Peninsula (present-day Archdiocese of Caceres); Nueva Segovia comprising all of Northern Luzon from Batanes down to Pangasinan and Tarlac, up to the boundaries of Nueva Vizcaya; and Cebu comprising the Visayan Islands and Mindanao. The Archdiocese of Manila was composed of the provinces of Bulacan, Pampanga, Bataan, Rizal, Cavite, Batangas, Quezon, Mindoro, Zambales and Nueva Ecija.
April 10, 1910 The Diocese of Lipa (Batangas) was established.
May 19, 1928 The Diocese of Lingayen was established (present-day Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan).
December 11, 1948 The Diocese of San Fernando (Pampanga) was established.
November 25, 1961 The Diocese of Imus was established, comprising the civil province of Cavite, along with the Diocese of Malolos, which comprises the civil province of Bulacan. The Archdiocese of Manila comprised Manila, Quezon City, Pasay, Caloocan, and the Province of Rizal.
Quezon City at that time consisted of eleven parishes:
1962-1974 Seven parishes in Quezon City were established:
December 3, 1974 Quezon City was divided into 4 vicariates: Sta. Rita, Holy Family, St. Joseph and Sto. Niño.
1975-1982 Twenty more parishes were established:
Between 1981-1983 The Vicariate of the Good Shepherd was established.
January 25, 1983 The Diocese of Antipolo (Rizal Province) was established.
March 24, 1983 The Vicariate of St. Joseph was divided and the new Vicariate of Our Lady of Perpetual Help was created.
1985-1986 Eight parishes were established:
August 10, 1987 The District of Quezon City was divided into two: Quezon City-North and Quezon City-South.
Between 1987-1989 The Vicariate of Our Lady of Perpetual Help was divided and became Vicariates of Our Lady of Perpetual Help 1 and 2.
1987-1988 Five more parishes were established:
February 1, 1989 The Vicariate of Sta. Rita was revised and the new Vicariate of San Pedro Bautista was created.
1990-2000 Ten new parishes were established:
December 9, 1997 The Vicariate of Our Lady of Perpetual Help 2 was renamed Vicariate of San Isidro Labrador. The composition of the parishes of the Vicariates of Sto. Niño and San Isidro Labrador was revised.
August 31, 2001 Msgr. Socrates Villegas, Vicar-General of the Archdiocese of Manila and Episcopal Vicar for the Ecclesiastical District of Quezon City-South, was ordained Auxiliary Bishop of Manila. Bishop Villegas was designated by Manila Archbishop Jaime L. Cardinal Sin as the new District Bishop of the Ecclesiastical District of Quezon City-South. Msgr. Daniel Sta. Maria became the district’s new Episcopal Vicar.
October 22, 2001 St. Jude Chaplaincy in Nayong Kanluran, SFDM was established (now a quasi-parish).
March 15, 2002 The districts of Quezon City South and North were revised and renamed Districts of Cubao and Novaliches respectively. The Vicariate of St. Joseph was transferred to Cubao and the Vicariate of San Isidro Labrador to Novaliches. San Nicolas de Tolentino Parish (part of San Isidro) was included in Cubao under the Vicariate of Sto. Niño and the parish of St. Joseph in Balintawak (Caloocan) was added to Cubao under the Vicariate of San Pedro Bautista. Thus, the former Vicariate of St. Joseph (of which St. Joseph the Worker Parish is a part) in the Ecclesiastical District of Kal-Ma-Na (now, the Diocese of Kalookan) was renamed Vicariate of the Sacred Heart.
April 10, 2003 The Holy Family Chaplaincy in GSIS Village, Project 8 was established (now a full-fledged parish).
June 28, 2003 The Diocese of Cubao was created by virtue of Pope John Paul II’s Papal Bull Quo Satius Provideretur. The new local church constitutes the southern part of Quezon City, starting from Tandang Sora Avenue and Mactan Street extending southward. Most Rev. Honesto "Ness" F. Ongtioco, DD, STL, Bishop of Balanga (Bataan) was named first diocesan bishop of Cubao.
August 14, 2003 In preparation for the canonical erection of the new diocese, then Manila Auxiliary Bishop Socrates Villegas (outgoing district bishop of Cubao and now Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan) presided over the Solemn Dedication Rites of the Immaculate Conception Parish as it would be soon elevated into the status of a cathedral.
August 28, 2003 The new Diocese of Cubao was canonically erected and the first Bishop of Cubao, Most Rev. Honesto F. Ongtioco, was installed in the presence of the Apostolic Nuncio Antonio Franco, Manila Archbishop Jaime L. Cardinal Sin and numerous bishops gracing the occasion. The Parish of the Immaculate Conception along 39 Lantana Street, Barangay Immaculate Conception, Cubao, Quezon City was liturgically proclaimed the cathedral or seat of the diocese, with Reverend Monsignor Daniel P. Sta. Maria as its first Cathedral Rector and first Vicar-General
2004 Minor changes to the College of Consultors of the Diocese took place. With the creation of the Diocesan Pastoral Office, Fr. Emmanuel Sarez, then Oeconomus of the diocese, assumed its directorship. Msgr. Sta. Maria was subsequently named Oeconomus. Msgr. Antonio Mortillero became the second Vicar-General, with Msgr. Mylo Hubert Vergara as new Episcopal Vicar for the Clergy and Fr. Ramon Eloriaga as new Chancellor. Msgr. Jaime Mora retired as parish priest of Christ the King Parish (Greenmeadows) and Bishop Ongtioco temporarily took over as Parish Priest, while Fr. Ferdinand Santos, parochial vicar of the Parish of the Holy Sacrifice, and Fr. Odon Francia, parish priest of Sta. Perpetua, took their sabbatical leave.
February 12, 2005 Monsignor Mylo Hubert C. Vergara became the first cleric of the diocese to be elevated to the episcopacy, upon his appointment as third bishop of San Jose, Nueva Ecija. He was ordained bishop on April 30 at Cubao Cathedral. Fr. Jose "Bong" Tupino took over the post of Episcopal Vicar for the Clergy, which was left vacant upon Msgr. Vergara's election as bishop. The first ever priest to be ordained for the diocese that year was Fr. Ronaldo Santos.
2006 New assignments for parish priests took effect, between January and June. Due to shortage of number of parish priests, at least seven priests were assigned as pastors to two parishes simultaneously. On May 15, Vicar General Msgr. Mortillero, representing the Bishop, announced the creation of the new San Isidro Labrador Quasi-Parish in Pinyahan.
2007 Four priests were ordained: Fr. Gilberto Fortunato Dumlao, Fr. Herbel Torres, Fr. Victor William Garcia, and Fr. Ronald Monis.
2009 Second minor reassignment for the clergy took place. Fr. Fredrick Edward Simon assumed the office of Chancellor.
2010. Fr. Ronald M. Roberto was ordained priest.
2011 Two priests were incardinated for the Diocese of Cubao, namely Fr. Nicolas Salamanca (former Recoleto) and Fr. Luisito Caupayan (former Claretian). Saint Pedro Poveda College along EDSA and Poveda Street, Barangay Ugong Norte, transferred its proper jurisdiction from the Archdiocese of Manila to the Diocese of Cubao.
2012 Second major reassigment for the clergy took place between January and February. With the retirement of Msgr. Mortillero, Msgr. Sta. Maria was reappointed Vicar-General. Fr. Ronaldo Macale was named Episcopal Vicar for the Clergy. Fr. Nicolas Salamanca became the new Episcopal Vicar for the Religious. Fr. Ronaldo Santos was named Oeconomus. Fr. Raymond Joseph L. Arre, STL, was named Episcopal Vicar for Catholic Schools and Superintendent of the Diocese of Cubao Educational System, Inc. (DOCES). On January 8, Bishop Ongtioco signed the decree establishing the Blessed John Paul II Parish in Eastwood City, Libis (Barangay Bagumbayan), appointing Fr. Arnel Recinto as its first Parish Priest. On February 5, the Holy Family Quasi-Parish in GSIS Village (Barangay Sangandaan) was elevated into a full-fledged parish, with the installation of Fr. Herbel Torres as first parish priest. On September 8 came the ordination of another priest, Fr. Rey Hector Paglinawan.
2013 With the death of Fr. Emmanuel Sarez, Fr. Jose Fortunato Garces, OAR, was named as temporary pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Project 6 with acting capacity. Fr. Nemesio Tolentin, OAR, was named parish priest of San Nicolas de Tolentino Parish. Msgr. Benjamin Razon retired as parish priest of Immaculate Conception Parish in Project 8 and was succeeded by Fr. Alfredo Pascual. On March 2, Fr. Victor Angelo Parlan was ordained to the priesthood. Fr. Ruben Villote, the founder of the Center for Migrant Youth, also a priest of the diocese, died on July 6. The diocese marks the tenth anniversary of its inauguration on August 28, with the conferral of the Civitas Supra Montem Awards to distinguished lay leaders for their longtime meritorious service to the local church.
Diocesan Curia and Ministry Heads
Bishop Ongtioco appointed new members of the Diocesan Curia and heads of various ministries in the diocese for a period of three years beginning February 1, 2012.
Parishes
The diocese is composed of 44 full-fledged parishes (three of which are national shrines), two quasi-parishes, and one non-parochial diocesan shrine, subdivided into six vicariates: