Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro

Diocese
name= Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro


province= Misamis Oriental, Camiguin And Bukidnon
bishop= Abp. Antonio J. Ledesma S.J
cathedral= San Augustine Metropolitan Cathedral
archdeaconries=
deaneries=
subdivisions=
parishes= 10|
congregations=2,719,781 faithfuls
members= 213 Priest
churches= 55
website=
The Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro is an Archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines. It is a Metropolitan See in the island of Mindanao the archdiocese comprises three civil provinces of Misamis Oriental, Bukidnon and Camiguin today it is headed by Archbishop Antonio J. Ledesma, S.J and it's seat is located in the San Augustine Metropolitan Cathedral in Cagayan De Oro City

History

thumb|200px|right|Saint Augustine Cathedral.the Seat of the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro

During the Spanish era there was only the province of Misamis which included the present provinces of Misamis Oriental and Misamis Occidental, and was handled by the civil government from Cebu. The Recollect Missionaries came down from Cebu and started a mission in the province. Civil government of its own started only in 1901. And because one part of it was separated from the main by Iligan Bay, the government decided to divide the province into two. Misamis Oriental is the bigger portion.

Before 1865, the whole of Mindanao and Sulu were part of the Diocese of Cebu. In 1865 the western half of Mindanao came under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Jaro in Panay. Then Pope Leo XIII established the Diocese of Zamboanga, separating it from Jaro and making it the first diocese in Mindanao. But it was Pope Pius X who executed this in 1910. Thus from 1910 Cagayan de Oro became part of the Diocese of Zamboanga.

On January 20, 1933, Pope Pius XI created a second diocese in Mindanao, that of Cagayan de Oro, separating it from Zamboanga and giving it jurisdiction over the then provinces of Surigao, Oriental and Occidental Misamis, Bukidnon, and part of the province of Lanao. Together with Zamboanga it became a suffragan of the new ecclesiastical province of Cebu.

In 1939, the Diocese of Cagayan de Oro was divided again with the creation of the Diocese of Surigao comprising the provinces of Surigao and Agusan; and in 1951 was divided again with the creation of the Diocese of Ozamiz comprising the provinces of Lanao and Misamis Occidental.

On June 29, 1951, Pope Pius XI elevated Cagayan de Oro to an archdiocese, coinciding with that of Jaro. The Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro became the first archdiocese in Mindanao, thereby separating Mindanao from the Ecclesiastical Province of Cebu. It had as its suffragans all the dioceses and prelatures then in Mindanao: Surigao, Cotabato, Sulu, Davao, Ozamiz, and Zamboanga which had been its mother diocese. It became an archdiocese seven years ahead of its mother diocese.

Later the Apostolic Prefecture of Sulu, the Prelature Nullius of Marbel, the Prelature Nullius of Tagum, the Diocese of Butuan, the Prelature Nullius of Malaybalay, the Prelature Nullius of Iligan and the Diocese of Tandag became suffragans of the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro.

Eventually four other archdioceses were established in Mindanao: Zamboanga in 1958, Davao in 1970. Cotabato in 1979 and Ozamiz in 1983. Thus there are at present five ecclesiastical provinces in Mindanao.

The first bishop and archbishop of Cagayan de Oro was the Most Reverend James Hayes, S.J. D.D., who established the Ateneo de Cagayan now known as Xavier University, among others. He was succeeded by Most Reverend Patrick Cronin, SSC, D.D. in 1971. Bishop Cronin established the St. John Vianney Theological Seminary. The third bishop was Most Reverend Jesus B. Tuquib, D.D., S.T.D., who was installed as Archbishop with right of Succession on May 31, 1984, and became the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro on January 5, 1988.

There are 46 diocesan priests manning the 46 parishes within the jurisdiction of the archdiocese, helped by 2 Jesuit and 5 Columban priests. Six others are doing non-parochial work and 3 others are in retirement. The rest of the Jesuits are in Xavier University or in the major seminary, and the rest of the Columbans, apart from the 5 involved in parish work, are in their procure house doing various apostolates such as hospital work and other activities. There are 18 religious institutes of women, one of which is a contemplative institute, the Carmelite nuns.

The archdiocese has its own diocesan college seminary, the San Jose de Mindanao Seminary which opened in 1955. It was constructed by Archbishop Hayes, was first administered by the Jesuits, then by Columban priests, and now by the diocesan clergy.

Also within the archdiocese is a theology seminary -- the St. John Vianney Theological Seminary, which is mainly for seminarians of the Ecclesiastical Province of Cagayan de Oro. This was started by Archbishop Cronin and finished by Archbishop Tuquib. It opened in 1985.

Ordinaries

# James Hayes, S.J. D.D†.,
# Patrick Cronin, SSC, D.D†
# Jesus Tuquib, D.D., S.T.D.,
# Antonio Ledesma S.J

Vision

A renewed community of believers fully knowing, loving and serving Christ, proclaiming the Good News and actively participating in the building of a society of Justice, peace and love."

Mission

We, the servant-leaders of the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro, in collaboration with and in participation of the fullness of the Bishop's priesthood, and making our own the call of the Plenary Council of the Philippines II for renewal and transformation, commit ourselves: 1) to live a life that is rooted in Christ; 2) to live the life of evangelical poverty, celibacy and apostolic obedience; 3) to serve as pastoral leaders with the compassion and humility of the Good Shepherd; 4) to celebrate the Eucharist as authentic presiders and to proclaim the Word credibly; 5) to live as brothers respecting each one's freedom and fostering a sense of belonging; 6) to be in the midst of our people to know their plights, anguishes, hopes and aspirations; 7) to be imbued with deep love of preference for the poor, defending and vindicating their rights; 8) to nurture a filial devotion of Mary, the Mother of Jesus and our Mother."

PARISHES AND CHAPLAINCIES

The Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro is at present made up of 45 parishes and 8 chaplaincies, i.e., communities on the way of becoming full-pledged parishes (40 parishes and 8 chaplaincies in Misamis Oriental and Bukidnon and 5 parishes in Camiguin). Definitely more parishes will have to be opened in the future especially in the city because of the expanding population of the City due to its rapid economic growth and development attracting many people from all over the country.

The Chinese Catholics especially in the city proper also have their own personal parish, the San Lorenzo Ruiz Catholic Community, under the pastoral care of one of our diocesan priests.PRIESTS IN THE ARCHDIOCESE: DIOCESAN AND RELIGIOUS

There are now 88 diocesan priests incardinated to the archdiocese. By the end of the celebration of the Golden Jubilee there may be 6 or 7 more. Most of them are in the parishes but there are also others without a parish maybe because they are either in the seminary or are having diocesan or apostolate tasks. Some are outside the archdiocese either on study-leave, on mission, working in other dioceses, or just on leaves from the ministry, while some are now in retirement.

Most of the diocesan priests have become members of a society of diocesan priests founded by Archbishop Camomot: the Society of St. John Vianney or SSJV. All the founding fathers, except Fr. Wang, are now dead.

Some religious priests who are now taking care of 3 parishes help the priests in the parishes.

At present there are 5 male religious congregations in the Archdiocese (Jesuits, Blessed Sacrament Fathers, Sacred Heart Fathers, St. Paul Fathers, Sacred Stigmata Fathers or Stigmatines) and 2 Societies of Apostolic Life (Columbans or SSC and the members of the Mission Society of the Philippines or MSP).

INSTITUTES OF CONSECRATED LIFE FOR WOMEN

There are at present in the archdiocese, 1 institute of contemplative life (Carmelite nuns), 17 religious institute of active life (Carmelite Missionaries or CM, Canossian Daughters of Charity or FDCC, Daughters of St. Paul or FSP, Hijas de Jesus or FI, Company of Mary or ODN, Augustinian Sisters of Our Lady or OSA, Poor Lady’s Missionaries or OLM, Religious of the Assumption or RA, Religious of the Good Shepherd or RGS, Religious Sisters of Mercy or RSM, Religious of the Virgin Mary or RVM, Siervas de Nuestra Señora de la Paz or SNSP, Sisters of St. Paul de Chartres or SPC, Ursuline Missionaries of the Sacred Heart or UMSC); and 3 Pious associations on the way of becoming religious institutes of diocesan right (Missionary Sisters of the Holy Family or MSHF, Theresian Missionary of Mary or TMM, and Sisters of Social Apostolate or SSA). (The MSHF and the TMM are outgrowths of the original group founded by Archbishop Camomot and brought by him to Cagayan de Oro: the Daughters of St. Teresa or DST, which group is now based in Cebu.) The Franciscan Missionaries of Mary or FMM used to have a house here. And there is 1 lay association, the Teresiana.

The religious sisters are in various fields of apostolate (like running or administering schools, campus ministry, parish work, catechetic, family life, hospital work, running orphanages, taking care of young ladies, and others).

SEMINARIES

There are two seminaries in the Archdiocese: a college seminary and a theology seminary.

The college seminary, named, SAN JOSE DE MINDANAO SEMINARY, is mainly for the seminarians of the Archdiocese, although it continues to receive seminarians from other ecclesiastical jurisdictions. It has a pre-college year and four years of college. The seminarians used to study within the seminary but due to lack of personnel and other reasons, they now take their courses in Xavier University – formerly Ateneo de Cagayan – that is owned and run by the Jesuit Fathers. This college seminary was founded by Archbishop Hayes and opened in 1956.

ST. JOHN VIANNEY THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY caters mainly to the seminarians of the Ecclesiastical Province of Cagayan de Oro, although it also accepts seminarians from other ecclesiastical jurisdictions. It has a Spiritual Pastoral Formation Year and four years of Theology. In consortium with Xavier University it now offers a Masters Degree in Pastoral Theology. It is run mainly by the Jesuit Fathers though there are now many diocesan priests teaching in the seminary. The construction of the seminary was begun by Archbishop Cronin and finished by Archbishop Tuquib.

We have been blessed with so many vocations that our seminaries even have to refuse entry to many applicants due to lack of space.

While older priests are products of either Sto. Tomas Central Seminary (Manila), San Jose Seminary (Manila), San Carlos Seminary (Makati or Cebu), or REMASE (Davao), most of the younger clergy are products St. John Vianney Theological Seminary. Two of those who will soon be ordained priests are products of a seminary in Spain.

LAY RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS/MOVEMENT/COVENANT COMMUNITIES

While we have in the archdiocese the many and varied traditional lay organizations, like the Knights of Columbus, Catholic Women’s League, Legion of Mary, Apostleship of Prayer, Cursillos de Cristiandad, and many others, we have also experienced here the blossoming of many lay groups and what they call now the covenant communities. Thus, we have, for example, the Christian Family Movement, the Charismatic Movement (in all its many expressions and forms), the Neo-Catechumenate, the many so-called covenant communities, like the Couples for Christ and its many outreaches from the widows to the kids, the Kahayag sa Dios (also with its many outreaches), and many others. This emergence started after Vatican II.

UNIVERSITY/COLLEGES/SCHOOLS

To respond to the need for catholic education, there is one university (Xavier University – run by the Jesuits); 5 colleges (Lourdes, St. Rita’s, Christ the King, Cathedral School Technology, now St. Mary’s) – all run by the RVM Sisters; and Fatima College in Mambajao, run by the Sisters of Mercy. Most of the catholic educational institutions were either founded by Archbishop Hayes himself or founded during his time.

There are 18 catholic high schools, most of which are run by Sisters. A group of Sisters, the Hijas de Jesus, administers the only Chinese school in Cagayan de Oro.

RETREAT CENTERS

There are now 5 retreat centers or houses where people can go for recollections, days of prayer or solitude, or retreats. The latest of these is the Cardinal Hoffner’s House of Prayer owned by the Archdiocese.

HOSPITALS AND REHABILITATION CENTERS

For the physical, psychological, psychiatric or emotional sickness of people, there are in the archdiocese 1 hospital (Maria Reyna Hospital – founded by Archbishop Hayes and owned by the archdiocese), and 4 rehabilitation centers, the more known of which is the House of Hope of the Archdiocese for the mentally sick.

External links

* [http://www.cbcponline.net/cagayan_de_oro/ Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro - CBCP Online]
* [http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dcado.html Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro - Catholic Hierarchy Website]
* [http://www.cbcponline.net Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines]
* [http://www.cbcponline.net/bishops/archbishops/capalla.html Most Rev. Antonio B. Ledesma, D.D., Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro]