Baguio's new bishop, Rafael Cruz, ordained

The new bishop of Baguio City was ordained at the St. John the Evangelist Cathedral in Dagupan City over the weekend, according to the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP). 

Father Rafael Cruz, 64, was ordained to the episcopate by Archbishop Socrates Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan on September 7. Serving as co-consecrators were Archbishop Victor Bendico of Capiz and Bishop Jesse Mercado of Parañaque. 

“I humbly offer myself once more as a very simple birthday gift to her. Mother Mary, please accept this unworthy self-offering of mine and please take care of my ministry,” said Cruz. 

“I still don’t know why I was made a bishop. Only Jesus knows. Aware of my weaknesses and insufficiencies, I realize I need prayers. Please pray for me,” he added. 

Meanwhile, Villegas in his homily stressed the most important duty of a bishop is “to be an example to the flock, not lording it over those assigned to you.”

“In your handicaps, be an example. In your elder wisdom be an example. In your youthful dreams, be an example because the Lord sends us to be a witness, to be a martyr,” the archbishop said.

“You are called to be a martyr, you are called to be an example for the Lord’s flock. And beyond being an example, you are called to be Jesus,” he added.

Cruz will be installed as the third bishop of Baguio during a Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Atonement on September 17. He will succeed Archbishop Bendico, who served the diocese from 2017 until his transfer to the Capiz archdiocese in 2023.

Cruz took up Philosophy at the San Pablo Regional College Seminary, Baguio City, Bangued, receiving a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy. He took up theology at the Immaculate Conception School of Theology, Vigan City, Ilocos Sur, receiving a Bachelor of Sacred Theology.

Cruz was ordained a priest on September 8, 1985 for the archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan.

He was then awarded a Master of Arts in counseling psychology and a Doctor of Philosophy in clinical psychology from the Ateneo de Manila University. He had his residency training program at the Loyola University of Chicago and the Carl Jung Institute of Evanston, Illinois.

He served as deputy parish priest of Saints Peter and Paul, Calasiao, Pangasinan, chaplain of Our Lady of Remedies Chapel, Quezon City, visiting professor at the Loyola School of Theology, Ateneo de Manila University (1999-2004), and spiritual director and psychologist advisor to seminarians of the territorial prelature of Batanes.

He was also a teacher at the Center for Family Ministries, Ateneo de Manila, spiritual director and teacher at the Mary Help of Christians High School Seminary and the Mary Help of Christians College Seminary, parish priest and vicar forane of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Mangaldan, Pangasinan and since 2022 he was vicar forane, member of the Permanent Committee for the Protection of Minors, among others. —Sunday Mae Locus/LDF, GMA Integrated News