5th Malaybalay bishop to be ordained, installed today, Sept. 14

MALAYBALAY CITY  (BukidnonNews.Net/14 September 2021) Archbishops Charles Brown, Papal Nuncio in the Philippines, and Jose Cabantan of Cagayan de Oro will lead the episcopal ordination and installation of Rev. Noel Portal Pedregosa as the fifth bishop of the Diocese of Malaybalay today.

Abp. Cabantan will be the lead consecrator of the rites to start at 9.a.m. at the San Isidro Labrador Cathedral. He will be joined by co-consecrators Tandag Bishop Raul Dael B. Dael and Cotabato Archbishop Angelito Lampon.

The ordination and installation was timed on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.

Apart from the episcopal ordination and installation, today’s rites include blessing of the pontifical insignia, silent adoration and prayer for priests, profession of faith, oath of fidelity, simple liturgical reception and Eucharistic celebration.

The 56-year old Bishop-elect Noel Pedregosa, who was appointed by Pope Francis to serve as the new bishop of Malaybalay, succeeds Abp. Cabantan. The appointment of Bp. Pedregosa, to lead over a million Catholics in the diocese, was announced by the Vatican on June 29, 2021.

Prior to Archbishop Cabantan, Bukidnon’s previous prelates were Bishop Francisco Claver, Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales, and Bishop Honesto Pacana.

Bishop-elect Pedregosa served as rector and administrator of the diocese, which has been with no bishop since August 2020.

According to the organizers, the celebration will take place in accordance to social distancing rules that are in place in Malaybalay due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to Fr. Oliver Verdejo, time in for health protocols at the Cathedral will be from 6-8a.m. By 8a.m. there will be military reception for Abp. Brown, the nuncio being the Vatican’s ambassador to the Philippines. By 8:30a.m, the profession of faith ceremony will be held, and by 9a.m. the ordination and installation rites will commence.

Abp. Brown led a mass celebration at the Abbey of the Transfiguration around 5:30a.m. today where he said in his homily that it is not good to be afraid of individual crosses.

"The way to convert the difficulties and suffering to be life-giving is acceptance and obedience," he said. (BukidnonNews.Net)