New bishop ordained for San Jose de Antique

Having chosen “Servant of Jesus Christ” as his episcopal motto, Msgr. Marvyn Maceda was ordained bishop for the Diocese of San Jose de Antique on Tuesday.

Elegant flowers adorned the altar of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Cathedral in Naval, Biliran as Maceda was ordained to the episcopate.

Principal celebrant at the ordination was Palo Archbishop John Du, assisted by Naval Bishop Rex Ramirez and Naval Emeritus Bishop Filomeno Bactol.

The ordination followed the announcement by the Vatican of his appointment last January. He is the first cleric from the 31-year-old diocese to become a bishop.

Maceda, 50, succeeds Jose Romeo Lazo who was named archbishop of Jaro in February 2018.

The attendance included members of the Philippine bishops’ conference as well as Papal Nuncio Archbishop Giordano Caccia and Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila.

The cardinal, in his homily, urged his former student at the Loyola School of Theology to remain steadfast in his mission amidst “uncertainties of our times”.

“Remain honest before him. And even if your love is humiliated continue serving him… even if it is impossible humanly speaking,” Tagle told Maceda.

“But that is at the core of being a bishop, to admit of what is impossible humanly speaking and to believe that with God everything is possible,” he noted.

In his message, Maceda has appealed for prayers as he took his new role.

“If you prayed for me that I become a priest, I have become a priest. And now that God has appointed me as bishop, all the more that I need your prayers,” he said.

Maceda will formally assume his post in a ceremony at the St. Joseph Cathedral in Antique on April 9.