Wenceslao Selga Padilla (29 September 1949 – 25 September 2018) was a Filipino Scheut priest who from 2 August 2003 was the Apostolic prefect of the Apostolic Prefecture of Ulaanbaatar, a pre-diocesan missionary jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church in Mongolia.
Wenceslao Padilla | |
|---|---|
| Apostolic Prefect of Ulaanbaatar | |
| Church | Catholic Church |
| Diocese | Apostolic Prefecture of Ulaanbaatar |
| See | Ulaanbaatar |
| Appointed | 2 August 2003 |
| In office | 2003–2018 |
| Predecessor | Everard Ter Laak |
| Successor | Giorgio Marengo |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 17 March 1976 by Victorino Cristobal Ligot |
| Consecration | 29 August 2003 by Crescenzio Sepe[1] |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Wenceslao Selga Padilla 29 September 1949 |
| Died | 25 September 2018 (aged 68) Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia |
| Nationality | Filipino |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic Church |
| Residence | Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia |
| Motto | Light that illuminate people |
| Coat of arms |  |
| Styles of Wenceslao Selga Padilla | |
|---|---|
| |
| Reference style | The Most Reverend |
| Spoken style | Your Excellency |
| Religious style | Monsignor |
| Posthumous style | none |
Biography
editBorn on 29 September 1949[2] in Tubao, La Union, Philippines,[3] Wenceslao Padilla came from a Catholic family; his father was a catechist. In 1960 he entered the seminary and in 1976 was ordained a priest for Scheut Missionaries. He was a missionary in Taiwan and, for six years, a provincial superior of the Chinese provinces of his Order.
When in 1991 Mongolia and the Holy See established diplomatic relations, he was sent as a missionary to Urga (the old name of Ulanbataar). On 19 April 1992 he was appointed ecclesiastical superior of the mission sui iuris of Urga. He began taking care of street children, the homeless, disabled and old.[4]
When on 8 July 2002, Pope John Paul II established the Apostolic Prefecture of Ulaanbaatar, Father Padilla became its first prefect. On 2 August 2003 he received the episcopal dignity; he received the titular see of Tharros. His episcopal consecration on 29 August 2003 was presided over by Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, in the Ulanbataar cathedral.
The first Mongolian priest, Joseph Enkhee-Baatar, was ordained by Padilla on 26 August 2016.[5]
He continued in his ministry giving help to homeless and orphans until 2016.[6]
Death
editPadilla died on 25 September 2018 in Ulaanbaatar due to a heart attack.[5][7]
References
edit- ^ "Filipino Is Mongolia's First Catholic Bishop". Los Angeles Times. 6 September 2003. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
- ^ "蒙古烏蘭巴托宗座監牧黃旭東主教逝世,享年69歲" [Bishop Wenceslao Padilla, Apostolic Prefect of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, dies at age 69]. SL Media (in Chinese). Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation. 25 September 2018.
- ^ "Bishop Wenceslao Padilla". UCA News. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
- ^ "Catholics in Mongolia: Steady growth in difficult territory". ACN News. Aid to the Church in Need. Archived from the original on 4 August 2016. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
- ^ a b "Mongolia's first bishop, Msgr. Wenceslao Padilla, has died". AsiaNews. 26 September 2018. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
- ^ "Religious Freedom Association Forming in Mongolia: Supporters Urge Implementation of Constitution's Religious Freedom Guarantee". International Religious Liberty Association. 18 September 2009. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
- ^ Lagarde, Roy (26 September 2018). "Filipino bishop, first prelate of Mongolia, dies – UCA News". UCA News. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
External links
edit- Father Padilla on Catholic Hierarchy (in English)
- Apostolic Prefecture of Ulanbataar on gcatholic.org (in English)
