Bishop Labajo installed prelate of new Catholic diocese in Mindanao
Bishop Ruben Labajo of the new Diocese of Prosperidad presided as the main celebrant of the mass during his installation as new prelate on January 28 at the St. Michael the Archangel Cathedral in Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur. Photo by Provincial Public Information Office- Agusan del Sur.
SAN FRANCISCO, AGUSAN DEL SUR — Bishop Ruben Labajo, formerly of the Cebu archdiocese, was officially installed as the first prelate of the newly created Diocese of Prosperidad on Tuesday, January 28.
The diocese is located in the neighboring town of Prosperidad, the capital of Agusan del Sur.
At 59 years old, it is Labajo’s first assignment in Mindanao, after spending his entire priestly ministry in Cebu.
He arrived for his new assignment accompanied by close to 450 laity and clergymen, who traveled with him aboard a passenger boat from Cebu City to Nasipit in Agusan del Norte.
READ: Pope Francis appoints Cebu prelate as bishop of new PH diocese
Fr. Daryl Glenn Tatoy, spokesman for the Diocese of Prosperidad, said that the installation ceremony was witnessed by 40 bishops from across the country and 200 priests from the five provinces of the Caraga region, as well as neighboring areas.
Bishop Ruben Labajo of the new Diocese of Prosperidad presided as the main celebrant of the mass during his installation as new prelate on January 28 at the St. Michael the Archangel Cathedral in Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur. Photo by Provincial Public Information Office- Agusan del Sur.
Among the main guests were Papal Nuncio to the Philippines Cardinal Charles John Brown, Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma, and Cardinal Jose Advincula of Manila.
The ceremony celebrated at St. Michael the Archangel Cathedral, the new seat of the Diocese of Prosperidad, also drew Labajo’s close friends and family from Cebu, along with notable personalities like former Supreme Court Chief Justice Hilario Davide Sr. and several mayors from Cebu. The entire officialdom of Agusan del Sur was present to witness the historic event.
Labajo now oversees 26 parishes and one quasi-parish in Agusan del Sur, following the split of the Diocese of Butuan, which now covers only the parishes of Agusan del Norte.
The creation of the Diocese of Prosperidad was a long-awaited development, taking 20 years of effort, initiated by the late Bishop Juan de Dios Pueblos of Butuan.
It also took 57 years after the Prosperidad Diocese was separated from the Butuan Diocese. Pope Francis officially established the Diocese of Prosperidad on October 15, 2024, naming Bishop Labajo as its first shepherd.
Bishop Ruben Labajo of the new Diocese of Prosperidad presided as the main celebrant of the mass during his installation as new prelate on January 28 at the St. Michael the Archangel Cathedral in Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur. Photo by Provincial Public Information Office- Agusan del Sur.
In a statement, the Diocese of Butuan described the appointment as a “new chapter in the synodal journey” of the People of God in both dioceses”.
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization’s Section for the First Evangelization and the New Particular Churches, emphasized that the split should not be viewed as division, but rather as a “sign of growth.”
“Let us not look at it as a division, like one family divided into two—no, it’s not that. It’s a sign of growth,” Cardinal Tagle said in a report by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines. He pointed out that while some parts of the world are concerned with merging dioceses, the Philippines is focused on creating new ones, a clear sign of vitality.
“Now you can give witness to Christ more openly and zealously because there are two local churches,” Tagle added.
During the installation rites, Tatoy hosted the live broadcast with Provincial Tourism Officer Dannah Buquir.
