Saint Anthony of Padua Cathedral, commonly known as Masbate Cathedral, is a Roman Catholicchurch located along Quezon Street in Masbate City, Masbate, Philippines. Founded in 1578 by Spanish missionaries, it is presently the cathedral or seat of the Diocese of Masbate. The present pastor and rector of the cathedral is Rev. Fr. Ely M. Alvarez.
The parish was founded in 1578 by Spanish missionaries, who placed the new church under the patronage of the Archdiocese of Nueva España. With the canonical erection of the first local church in the Philippines in 1581, it became part of the Diocese of Manila. In 1595, it became part of the newly established Diocese of Nueva Cáceres when the Bicol region was given its own local church. In 1951, the parish became part of the newly erected Diocese of Sorsogon, of which the Most Rev. Teopisto Alberto was its first bishop. Then parish priest Msgr. Arnulfo Arcilla (later made bishop of Sorsogon) laid down the foundation of the first structures of the cathedral-parish in 1954. On March 23, 1968, the civil province of Masbate was declared an independent diocese from Sorsogon, and Saint Anthony of Padua Parish was made the cathedral or seat of the Diocese of Masbate.
A major repair on the building was done during the administration of the first Bishop of Masbate, the Most Rev. Porfirio R. Iligan. Expansions and other improvements followed later under the supervision of its succeeding cathedral rectors. The present cathedral structure preserves the center floor, the aisle, and some vestiges of the cross-shaped part of the ceiling as a result of Bishop Joel Baylon's call for church renovation. The cathedral was blessed and dedicated on September 25, 2004.
Crypt of Rev. Porfirio R. Iligan
Pastors
Below is the recent list of parish priests / cathedral rectors.
Name
Years of Pastorship
Present Assignment
Most Rev. Arnulfo Arcilla
- 1959
deceased Bishop-emeritus of Sorsogon
Most Rev. Vicente Ataviado
1959 to 1968
deceased Bishop of Maasin
Rev. Msgr. Ernesto Villaroya, P.C.
- 1988
in the United States
Rev. Msgr. Claro V. Caluya III, H.P. (Msgr. Boy)
1988 to 1999
Resident Priest, Saint Nicholas of Tolentine Parish (Mobo, Masbate)
Rev. Msgr. Quintin C. Ferraren Jr., H.P.
1999 to 2004
retired
Rev. Msgr. Aquino T. Atendido, H.P.
2004 to 2009
retired
Rev. Msgr. Ismael B. Misolas, P.C.
2009 to 2014
Retired Guest Priest of Mary Immaculate Parish, also known as "Nature Church"
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