The Vatican has elevated a Church jurisdiction in the Philippines and created a new diocese in Bangladesh, marking a restructuring of Catholic pastoral governance in parts of Asia.
In the Philippines, the Apostolic Vicariate of Calapan has been elevated to a full diocese, retaining its territorial boundaries and placed under the ecclesiastical province of Lipa.
Bishop Moises Cuevas, previously vicar apostolic, has been appointed as the first bishop of the Diocese of Calapan.
Located in the eastern part of Mindoro, the diocese covers more than 4,200 square kilometers and serves a population of over 900,000, the majority of whom are Catholic.
It comprises 23 parishes, 32 educational institutions, one charitable institution, and is served by diocesan and religious clergy, women religious, and seminarians.
The Vatican has also appointed Father Gerardo Fortich Saco Jr. as bishop of the Diocese of Tagbilaran. Ordained in 1993, he has served in parish, missionary, and diocesan leadership roles, most recently as diocesan administrator.
In Bangladesh, a new Diocese of Joypurhat has been established from territories of the dioceses of Rajshahi and Dinajpur and placed under the metropolitan archdiocese of Dhaka. The move creates a new ecclesiastical jurisdiction in the country’s northwest.
Father Paul Gomes of the Diocese of Rajshahi has been appointed as the first bishop of Joypurhat. He has held roles in seminary formation, parish ministry, and diocesan leadership, including as rector of the Holy Spirit Major Seminary in Dhaka.
The new diocese will serve a population of more than 7.7 million people, including over 24,000 Catholics, across 11 parishes supported by clergy, religious, and Church institutions.
The changes formalize Church structures in growing communities and strengthen local pastoral administration in both countries.
