Pope Francis has appointed Society of Divine Word Father Pablito Tagura as the new apostolic vicar of San Jose in Occidental Mindoro province.
Father Tagura, until now the rector and dean of studies at Christ the King Mission Seminary in Quezon City, succeeded the late Bishop Antonio Palang who resigned in March 2018.
For about four years, the apostolic vicariate has been under the care of Bishop David William Antonio of the Diocese of Ilagan as apostolic administrator.
The appointment of Father Tagura, 60, was made public Rome at 12 noon (7 p.m. in the Philippines) on Saturday, December 17.
Born in the village of Abra province’s Lagangilang town in 1962, the bishop-elect took his Philosophy and Theology studies at the Divine Word Seminary in Tagaytay City.
He professed his final vows on May 31, 1988, and was ordained priest on December 17, 1988, in Bangued.
In 1997, he obtained his Doctorate in Philosophy at the Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in the United States.
He is also currently a member of the Provincial Council of the Society of the Divine Word.
