Roman Catholic Diocese of Legazpi

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Legazpi (Latin: Dioecesis Legazpiensis) is a diocese of the Latin Church of the Roman Catholic Church. It constitutes the entire province of Albay in the Philippines.

Diocese of Legazpi Dioecesis Legazpiensis Diosesis kan Legazpi Diyosesis ng Legazpi
Catholic
Legazpi Cathedral
Coat of arms
Location
Country	Philippines
Territory	Albay
Ecclesiastical province	Caceres
Metropolitan	Caceres
Coordinates	13.1384°N 123.7336°E / 13.1384; 123.7336
Statistics
Area	2,552 km2 (985 sq mi)
Population - Total - Catholics	(as of 2021) 1,487,322 1,376,482 (93.2%)
Parishes	49
Information
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Sui iuris church	Latin Church
Rite	Roman Rite
Established	June 29, 1951
Cathedral	Saint Gregory the Great Cathedral
Patron saint	Our Lady of Salvation
Secular priests	101
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Bishop	Joel Zamudio Baylon
Metropolitan Archbishop	Rex Andrew Alarcon
Vicar General	Msgr. Ramon C. Tronqued, PC, VG. Msgr. Crispin C. Bernarte, Jr., VG.
Bishops emeritus	Nestor Celestial Cariño Bishop Emeritus (2005-2007) Lucilo B. Quiambao Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus (1982-2009)
Map
Territorial jurisdiction of the Diocese of Legazpi
Statistics from Catholic-Hierarchy.org

The diocese was erected in 1951, carved from territory of the Archdiocese of Cáceres, to which it is a suffragan. In 1974, the diocese was partitioned to form the Diocese of Virac.

Most Rev. Joel "Bong" Z. Baylon, D.D. is the current Bishop of Legazpi, after serving as Bishop of Masbate. Prior to his appointment, Auxiliary Bishop of Legazpi Lucilo Quiambao had been the apostolic administrator of the diocese since Bishop Nestor Cariño's retirement in 2007. Baylon is assisted by his vicars-general, Ramón Tronqued, PC VG and Crispin Bernarte, VG.

Coat of arms

The Mayon Volcano which towers over the city of Legazpi occupies the center of the shield. The papal cross surmounted by the nimbed dove symbolizes Saint Gregory the Great, the titular of the cathedral. The dove is an allusion to the testimony of Peter the Deacon who said that he oftentimes saw the Holy Ghost in the form of a dove hover above the saint while he dictated his works. The rose symbolizes Our Lady of Peñafrancia to whom all Bicolanos have a great devotion. The lily at the base represents the Immaculate Conception, the patroness of the principal church of Virac, Catanduanes in Catanduanes which belongs to the diocese (until 1974).

Activism

Bishop Joel "Bong" Z. Baylon, D.D., in his open letter to the present Administration, censured the governments's environmental protection failure resulting in massive urban flooding in Albay. The Legaspi Diocese traced its causes to unregulated greed of private individuals, illegal quarry, substandard public infrastructure and ineffective flood protection projects.

Bishops

Ordinaries

#	Picture	Name	From	Until	Coat of Arms
1		Flaviano Barrechea Ariola	May 15, 1952 appointed	November 27, 1968 resigned
2		Teotimo Cruel Pacis, C.M.	May 23, 1969 appointed	June 4, 1980 resigned
3		Concordio Maria Sarte	August 12, 1980 appointed	November 22, 1991 died
4		José Crisologo Sorra	March 1, 1993 appointed	April 1, 2005 retired
5		Nestor Celestial Cariño	April 1, 2005 appointed	November 7, 2007 resigned
Sede Vacante - Apostolic Administrator		Lucilo Barrameda Quiambao	November 7, 2007	October 1, 2009
6		Joel Zamudio Baylon	October 1, 2009 appointed	present

Auxiliary Bishops

#	Picture	Name	From	Until	Coat of Arms
1		Nestor Celestial Cariño	1978	1980 (appointed Bishop of Borongan)
2		Lucilo Barrameda Quiambao	1982	2009

Other priest of this diocese who became bishop

• José Crisologo Sorra, appointed Bishop of Virac in 1974; later returned here as Bishop
• Joel Zamudio Baylon, appointed Bishop of Masbate in 1998; later returned here as Bishop

See also

• Catholic Church in the Philippines

External links

Media related to Roman Catholic Diocese of Legazpi at Wikimedia Commons

• Dioecesis Legazpiensis Catholic-Hierarchy.org