BAGUIO CITY – Pope Francis recently appointed Rev. Fr. Rafael T. Cruz as the third Bishop of the Diocese of Baguio covering the chartered City of Baguio and nearby Benguet Province.
Rev. Fr. Roland Buyagan, Diocesean Administrator, made the good news to the Catholic faithful following several months of waiting for the appointment of the new Bishop who will lead the Diocese.
Bishop Cruz is the current parish priest of the Saint Ildephonse parish in Malasiqui, Pangasinan and vicar forane of the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan.
He was born on March 12, 1960 in Mapandan, Pangasinan. He took up philosophy at the Baguio-based San Pablo Regional College Seminary and was able to receive his Bachelor Degree of Arts in Philosophy.
Further, he took up theology at the Immaculate Concepcion School of Theology in Vigan City, Ilocos Sur and received a Bachelor of Sacred Theology.
Cruz was ordained a priest in 1985 for the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan. He was awarded a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology and a Doctor of Philosophy in Clinical Psychology from the Ateneo de Manila University.
He served his residence training program at the Loyola University of Chicago and the Carl Jung Institute of Evanston, Illinois.
Moreover, he served as parish priest of Saints Peter and Paul parish in Calasiao, Pangasinan; chaplain of Our Lady of Remedies chapel, Quezon City; visiting professor at the Loyola School of Theology, Ateneo de Manila University from 1999-2004; and spiritual director and psychologist advisor to seminarians of the Territorial Prelature of Batanes.
Cruz was also a teacher of the Center of Family Ministries, Ateneo de Manila; spiritual director and teacher at the Mary Health of Christians High School Seminary and the Mary Health 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.
Cruz succeeded Bishop Victor Bendico who was appointed as the Bishop of the Archdiocese of Capiz early this year.
The late Bishop Carlito J. Cenzon served as the first Bishop of the Diocese of Baguio.
Buyagan said that the details of the upcoming consecration and installation of Bishop Cruz will be announced the soonest after the same shall have been finalized by the Diocese.
The Diocesan administrator rallied the Catholic faithful to warmly welcome the new Bishop and allow him to do his pastoral and shepherding role in his new home in the Diocese of Baguio.
Cruz will be representing the “Diocese of Baguio” in the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).
The Catholic faithful in Baguio and Benguet expressed their gratitude to Pope Francis for timely appointing the new Bishop of the Diocese of Baguio that will contribute in aggressively spreading the word of god to the communities within its jurisdiction. By Dexter A. See