Roman Catholic Diocese of Iba

Diocese of Iba

Dioecesis Ibanae

Diyosesis ng Iba
Diocesis ti Iba
Catholic
Coat of arms
Location
CountryPhilippines
TerritoryZambales and Olongapo City
Ecclesiastical provinceSan Fernando
Statistics
Area3,642 km2 (1,406 sq mi)
Population
  • Total
  • Catholics
  • (as of 2021)
  • 907,231
  • 725,785[1] (80%)
Parishes23
Information
DenominationCatholic Church
Sui iuris churchLatin Church
RiteRoman Rite
EstablishedNovember 15, 1982 (1982-11-15)
CathedralSt. Augustine of Hippo Cathedral-Parish
Patron saintAugustine of Hippo
Secular priests41
Current leadership
PopeLeo XIV
BishopBartolome G. Santos, Jr.
Metropolitan ArchbishopFlorentino Lavarias
Vicar GeneralRev. Fr. Ernesto C. Raymundo

The Diocese of Iba (Lat: Dioecesis Ibanae) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or diocese of the Catholic Church in the Philippines that comprises the province of Zambales and City of Olongapo.

History

On June 12, 1955, a territorial prelature was erected from territory in the dioceses of San Fernando, Pampanga, and of Diocese of Lingayen-Dagupan and was elevated as the Diocese of Iba on November 15, 1982.[2] The diocese is part of the Ecclesiastical Province of San Fernando, Pampanga.

Coat of arms

The transfixed flaming heart is the symbol of Augustine of Hippo, Doctor of the Church, who is the titular of the cathedral. The bezants represent the great wealth found in the Zambales mountains which cover the territory of the diocese.[3]

Ordinaries

No. Bishop Period in office Notes Coat of arms
Prelates of Iba (August 20, 1956 – November 15, 1982)
1 Henry Charles Byrne, Missionary Society of St. Columban November 4, 1956 – November 15, 1982
(26 years, 11 days)
First and only territorial prelate; later became first diocesan bishop
Bishops of Iba (November 15, 1982 – present)
1 Henry Charles Byrne, SSCME November 15, 1982 – July 16, 1983
(243 days)
Retired days before death
2 Paciano Basilio Ancieto October 20, 1983 – January 31, 1989
(5 years, 103 days)
Appointed Archbishop of San Fernando
3 Deogracias Soriano Iñiguez Jr. March 3, 1990 – June 28, 2003
(13 years, 117 days)
Appointed Bishop of Kalookan
4 Florentino Galang Lavarias September 1 2004 – July 25, 2014
(9 years, 327 days)
Appointed Archbishop of San Fernando
5 Bartolome Gaspar Santos Jr. May 25, 2018 – present
(7 years, 88 days)

Priests from the Diocese of Iba who became bishops

See also

References

  1. ^ "Iba (Catholic Diocese)". gcatholic.org. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
  2. ^ "Diocese of Iba". catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved March 17, 2013.
  3. ^ Madriaga, Mariano (1957). "The Coats-of-Arms of the Ecclesiastical Jurisdictions in the Philippines: Part II. The Suffragan Sees in the Luzon Area". Philippine Studies. 5 (4): 420–430. JSTOR 42719342. Retrieved June 7, 2021.

15°19′34″N 119°58′47″E / 15.3262°N 119.9798°E / 15.3262; 119.9798