Roman Catholic Diocese of Ilagan

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Ilagan (Lat: Dioecesis Ilaganensis) is a Diocese of the Latin Church of the Catholic Church in the Philippines. It was erected on 31 January 1970 from territory of the then Roman Catholic Diocese of Tuguegarao and it covers the entire civil Province of Isabela.[1] It is a suffragan diocese of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Tuguegarao.[1]

Diocese of Ilagan Dioecesis Ilaganensis Diyosesis ng Ilagan Diócesis de Ilagán
Coat of arms
Location
Country	Philippines
Territory	Isabela
Ecclesiastical province	Tuguegarao
Metropolitan	Tuguegarao
Statistics
Area	12,556 km^2 (4,848 sq mi)[1]
Population - Total - Catholics	(as of 2016[1]) 1,557,000[1] 1,247,000[1] (80.1[1]%)
Parishes	39[1]
Information
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Sui iuris church	Latin Church
Rite	Roman Rite
Established	31 January 1970
Cathedral	Cathedral of Saint Michael the Archangel in Gamu, Isabela
Patron saint	Saint Ferdinand of Castile, Our Lady of the Visitation of Guibang, and Saint Michael the Archangel
Secular priests	46 (38 diocesan, 8 from religious orders, as of 2017 from Catholic Directory)[1]
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Bishop	Most Rev. David William V. Antonio, S.Th.D., D.D.
Metropolitan Archbishop	Most Rev. Ricardo L. Baccay, D.D.
Bishops emeritus	Joseph Amangi Nacua, O.F.M. Cap., D.D. (resigned on February 25, 2017)
Website
Official website

The Diocese has had no jurisdictional changes. The seat of the Diocese used to be located in Saint Ferdinand Parish Church in Ilagan City before being transferred to the Gamu Cathedral (Cathedral of Saint Michael the Archangel) in Gamu, Isabela, in 2013.[2]

Most Rev. David William V. Antonio, S.Th.D., D.D. was installed as the fifth Bishop of Ilagan on February 12, 2019.[3]

Ordinaries

• Msgr. Ricardo Jamias, D.P., S.T.L. (Appointed as the first Vicar General under the Diocese of Tuguegarao)
• Most Rev. Francisco Raval Cruces (4 March 1970 – 22 August 1973, appointed Archbishop of Zamboanga)
• Most Rev. Miguel Gatan Purugganan, D.D. (21 January 1974 – 26 July 1999, resigned)
• Most Rev. Sergio Lasam Utleg, D.D. (26 July 1999 – 13 November 2006, appointed Bishop of Laoag)
• Rt. Rev. Msgr. Marino D. Gatan, H.P. (Appointed as Diocesan Administrator in 2007 - 2008)
• Most Rev. Joseph Amangi Nacua, O.F.M. Cap. (10 June 2008 – 25 February 2017, resigned for health reasons[3])
• Most Rev. Prudencio P. Andaya, CICM, D.D. (Appointed as Diocesan Administrator, 25 February 2017 - 12 February 2019)
• Most Rev. David William V. Antonio, S.Th.D., D.D. (12 February 2019 – present)

See also

• Catholic Church in the Philippines
• List of Catholic dioceses in the Philippines

References

1. "Ilagan (Latin (or Roman) Diocese) [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
2. Darang, Josephine (September 22, 2013). "Pope Francis transfers episcopal seat of Diocese of Ilagan to Gamu, Isabela". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved November 15, 2018.
3. Lagarde, Roy (February 15, 2019). "Bishop Antonio takes possession of northern diocese". CBCPNews. Retrieved 18 February 2019.