Pope Francis has approved the creation of a new diocese in the Philippines, which will serve nearly half a million Catholics. Called the Diocese of Prosperidad, located in the Agusan region of the island Mindanao, it will be led by Bishop Ruben Labajo, who previously served as an auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of Cebu.
According to the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), the Agusan region was previously under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Butuan. In 2023, Bishop Cosme Damian Almedilla of Butuan petitioned for his diocese to be split in what he described as a “strategic move.”
He argued that a second diocese in the region would allow for spiritual growth of the faithful, while improving the efficacy of administerial efforts.
The split carved the Agusan del Sur province out of the 57-year-old Butuan Diocese, which now only covers the province of Agusan del Norte. A report from the Vatican, in Italian, notes that the nearly one million Catholics of the region have been practically split in half between the two dioceses, with about 490,000 remaining in the Diocese of Butuan and around 486,000 now in the new Diocese of Prosperidad.
In the CPCB report, Bishop Almedilla described the Province of Agusan del Sur as a “missionary frontier.” He noted that the region is landlocked and very mountainous with communities that are spread out and sometimes hard to reach. It is estimated that one-in-three residents of the region belongs to an Indigenous community.
The Diocese of Prosperidad comprises 26 parishes, one “almost parish,” and three missionary stations. Bishop Labajo, 58, will be supported in his efforts by 32 diocesan priests, 29 religious priests, and 6 sisters, but the diocese does not yet have any permanent deacons. There is, however, a lot of room for growth, as the diocese has 59 seminarians.
Read more at CBCP and pray for the prosperity of the Diocese of Prosperidad.
