Roman Catholic Diocese of Borongan
Diocese of Borongan Dioecesis Boronganensis Diyosesis han Borongan | |
|---|---|
 The Interior of the Borongan Cathedral | |
 Coat of arms | |
| Location | |
| Country |  Philippines |
| Territory | Eastern Samar, Samar (Villareal, Talalora, Calbiga, Santa Rita, Basey, and Osmeña), and the Municipality of Gamay (in Northern Samar) |
| Ecclesiastical province | Palo |
| Metropolitan | Palo |
| Statistics | |
| Area | 4,339 km2 (1,675 sq mi) |
| Population - Total - Catholics | (as of 2012) 496,000 465,000 (93.8%) |
| Parishes | 32 |
| Information | |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Sui iuris church | Latin Church |
| Rite | Roman Rite |
| Established | 22 October 1960 |
| Cathedral | Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Borongan |
| Current leadership | |
| Pope | Francis |
| Bishop | Crispin Barrete Varquez |
| Metropolitan Archbishop | John F. Du |
| Vicar General | Lope C. Robredillo |
| Episcopal Vicars | Dan Gañas Leroy Geli Joberto Picardal |
| Website | |
| Website of the Diocese | |
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Borongan (Lat: Dioecesis Boronganensis) is a Roman Rite diocese of the Latin Church of the Catholic Church in the Philippines.
Erected in 1960, from territory in the Diocese of Calbayog, the diocese is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Palo.
The Diocese of Borongan was created on October 22, 1960 by Saint Pope John XXIII. Bishop Vicente Reyes was the first diocesan bishop of Borongan. On June 19, 1965, the island of Samar was politically divided and the province of Eastern Samar was born thus the island of Samar has three dioceses: Calbayog for Western Samar, Catarman for Northern Samar and Borongan for Eastern Samar.
Eastern Samar has a population of 374,255, 97 percent are Catholics. It is subdivided into 1 city and 22 municipalities. It has a land area of 4,470.75 square kilometers. It is bounded on the north by Northern Samar, on the east by the Philippines Sea, on the west by Western Samar and on the south by Leyte Gulf. The Diocese of Borongan is divided into three regions, each has two vicariates. Borongan is the seat of the episcopal see.
The diocese has experienced no jurisdictional changes.
The current bishop is Crispin Barrete Varquez, appointed in 2007.
Ordinaries
| No. | Picture | Name | From | Until |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Most Rev. Vicente P. Reyes, D.D. † | 19 January 1961 (Appointed) | 8 August 1967 (Appointed, Bishop of Cabanatuan) | |
| 2nd | Most Rev. Godofredo Pedernal Pisig, D.D. † | 26 February 1968 (Appointed) | 18 September 1976 (Resigned) | |
| 3rd | Most Rev. Sincero Barcenilla Lucero, D.D † | 8 March 1977 (Appointed) | 10 December 1979 (Appointed, Bishop of Calbayog) | |
| 4th | Most Rev. Nestor Celestial Cariño, D.D | 12 August 1980 (Appointed) | 31 January 1986 (Resigned) | |
| 5th |  |
Most Rev. Leonardo Yuzon Medroso, D.D | 18 December 1980 (Appointed) | 31 January 2006 (Appointed, Bishop of Tagbilaran) |
| 6th | Most Rev. Crispin Barrete Varquez, D.D | 4 August 2007 (Appointed) | Present |
Beatification Launch
In the 8th of December 1995, the Parish Church of the Immaculate Conception, Guiuan formally launched a beatification movement for Msgr. Donato Guimbaolibot, coinciding with the town fiesta and the celebration of the 400th anniversary of the town's Christian evangelization to the Vatican Council.[1]
