A new bishop has formally taken charge of a mission territory in the northern Philippines that had been “sede vacante” for about a year.
Bishop Sean Mejia, 54, was ordained and installed as apostolic vicar of the Apostolic Vicariate of Tabuk during Mass at St. William’s Cathedral in Kalinga’s capital.
He succeeds Bishop Prudencio Andaya Jr., who now leads the Diocese of Cabanatuan in Nueva Ecija.
The ordination and installation was presided over by Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines Archbishop Charles Brown, with dozens of bishops and clergy in attendance.
The celebration drew 44 bishops and about 250 priests from dioceses across the country.
Pope Leo XIV appointed Mejia on March 3 as the third apostolic vicar of Tabuk.
In his message, Archbishop Gilbert Garcera, president of the bishops’ conference, urged Mejia to see his ministry not through public perceptions of name or origin, but through his vocation to serve as a shepherd.
He recalled the history of the Apostolic Vicariate of Tabuk, established in 1992 by Pope John Paul II, and thanked Mejia’s predecessors for developing a local Church marked by growth and stability.
Garcera outlined what he described as enduring “gifts” of the vicariate: a vibrant and collaborative Church, a culturally rich and resilient land, a community known for hospitality and communion, a local Church engaged in peace and reconciliation, and a synodal Church focused on formation and innovation.
“These are not merely accomplishments, but seeds — seeds of grace now entrusted to your pastoral care,” Garcera said.
“It is my sincere hope that you will continue to nurture and deepen these gifts, especially the ongoing work of peace and reconciliation, so that they may become ever more integral to the synodal life of the Church in Tabuk,” he added.
In his response, Mejia expressed gratitude to the clergy, religious, and lay faithful who attended the ordination and supported his episcopal ministry.
He said his vocation had taught him that God’s mercy is greater than human weakness.
“If I have learned anything throughout my vocational story, it is that God’s mercy is far greater than my weaknesses,” Mejia said.
He added that as he received the episcopal ring, mitre and pastoral staff, he did so with a sense of humility, calling himself “an unworthy servant and instrument of God’s eternal merciful love.”
Mejia also recalled the moment he learned of his appointment on Feb. 22. He said he initially thought another priest had been chosen and was momentarily struck silent when he heard his own name.
“Are you still there?” Mejia recalled Archbishop Brown asking after several seconds of silence during the call. “And the rest is history.”
