Archbishop Jose Palma of Cebu reminded priests in the archdiocese of their role as pastors of the Church’s mission.
“It is God who had chosen, who had called, and who had sent us to mission. This is a gift,” said the prelate during the Chrism Mass in the archdiocese on March 28.
He reminded priests that the gift of priesthood “is not so much a call to dignity but it is the ministry of service.”
“We are anointed that we may anoint others. We are made holy so that we will make others instruments also of other’s holiness,” said Archbishop Palma.
As of 2021, there are 612 priests in the Archdiocese of Cebu under the leadership of Archbishop Palma with Bishop Midyphil Billones, Bishop Ruben Labajo, and Emeritus bishops Emilio Batacaln and Antonio Ranola.
The Chrism Mass held at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral ahead of the Holy Week observance next week.
In a social media post on Tuesday, the archdiocese announced the implementation of a “minor” reshuffling in the assignments of 50 priests.
It said that the reshuffling will be done “to further respond to the need for more pastors in some parishes and as an essential part of the priestly life and ministry.”
The changes in the assignments were formally announced on March 27 during the Recollection of the Cebu Clergy.
“The faithful are humbly asked to offer prayers for the priests who are about to take on the new mission the Lord entrusted to them,” read the archdiocese’s announcement.
The Archdiocese of Cebu is currently the largest Archdiocese in the country, with the most number of Catholics, seminarians, and priests.
