Roman Catholic Territorial Prelature of Infanta

Last updated
Territorial Prelature of Infanta

Praelatura Territorialis Infantensis

Prelatura Teritoryal ng Infanta
Catholic
Infanta,Quezonjf0341 06.JPG
Infanta Cathedral
Coat of arms of the Territorial Prelature of Infanta.svg
Coat of arms
Location
CountryFlag of the Philippines.svg Philippines
TerritoryNorthern Quezon Province (Burdeos, General Nakar, Infanta, Jomalig, Panukulan, Patnanungan, Polillo, Real), Aurora
Ecclesiastical province Lipa
Metropolitan Lipa
Coordinates 14°44′50″N121°38′59″E / 14.74717°N 121.64965°E / 14.74717; 121.64965
Statistics
Area7,189 km2 (2,776 sq mi)
Population
  • Total
  • Catholics
  • (as of 2021)
  • 512,000
  • 414,000 [1]  (80.9%)
Information
Denomination Catholic
Sui iuris church Latin Church
Rite Roman Rite
CathedralCathedral-Parish of the Divine Infant Jesus of Prague and St. Mark the Evangelist
Current leadership
Pope Leo XIV
Prelate Dave Dean Capucao
Metropolitan Archbishop Gilbert Garcera
Bishops emeritus Bernardino Cortez

The Territorial Prelature of Infanta (Latin : Praelatura Territorialis Infantensis) is a Latin Catholic territorial prelature located in the municipality of Infanta, Quezon, in the ecclesiastical province of Lipa in the Philippines.

Contents

It was established on April 25, 1950 by the papal bull "Precibus annuentes" taking a portion of the then-Diocese of Lipa. In 1953, some municipalities in the civil province of Isabela were added onto it. However, it was taken again by the Diocese of Tuguegarao on August 16, 1955. Originally, the prelature was a suffragan of the Metropolitan See of Manila but was transferred to the Ecclesiastical Province of Lipa on June 20, 1972. [2]

The two main divisions of the prelature is based on the two geographical units that comprises it: the province of Quezon and the province of Aurora. Furthermore, it is governed by the prelate through four vicariates that covers (1) the parishes of Real, Infanta, and Nakar, (2) the parishes of the Polillo Islands, (3) parishes within Central Aurora province, and (4) parishes in the span of Northern Aurora. [3]

Erection

The prelature was erected by Pius XII on April 25, 1950 carving it from the Diocese of Lipa. Its territory included the islands of Polillo and the northern part of the province of Quezon. At this time, the province of Aurora is a sub-province of Quezon. [4] The boundaries of the prelature was defined to reach the Diocese of Tuguegarao to the north; to the west, Nueva Vizcaya, Nueva Ecija, Bulacan, and Rizal; the Pacific Ocean is the eastern boundary; while the common boundaries of Infanta and Mauban is in the south. [5]

Upon the erection of the See of Infanta, Bishop Rufino Jiao Santos (later Archbishop of Manila and a cardinal) was appointed Apostolic Administrator. [4] A year later, on July 11, 1951, Rev. Fr. Patrick Harmon Shanley, OCD, Vicar Provincial of the Order of Discalced Carmelites in the Philippine Islands, was appointed Apostolic Administrator of the Prelature of Infanta. [6]

Prelates

The Prelature of Infanta was first administered as a mission of the Order of Discalced Carmelites. Its apostolic administrators and bishops were members of the religious order until 2015. These include Bishop Patrick Shanley, OCD, Fr. Joseph Flanery, OCD, Bishop Julio Xavier Labayen, OCD, and Bishop Rolando Tirona, OCD. [3]

BishopPeriod in officeNotesCoat of Arms
1 Bishop Shanley.png Patrick (Harmon) Shanley of Saint Cecelia, OCDMarch 17, 1953 – September 12, 1960
(7 years, 179 days)
Resigned Coat of arms of Patrick Harmon Shanley.svg
2. 8755Paltic, Dingalan Aurora Proper 44 (cropped).jpg Julio Xavier Lizares Labayen, OCDSeptember 12, 1966 – June 28, 2003
(36 years, 289 days)
Retired Coat of arms of Julio Xavier Labayen.svg
3 Cropped Photo of Bishop Rolando Tria Tirona.jpg Rolando Joven Tria Tirona, OCDAugust 27, 2003 – September 8, 2012
(9 years, 12 days)
Appointed Archbishop of Caceres Coat of arms of Rolando Octavus Joven Tria Tirona Bishop of Malolos.svg
4 NConsecrationImmaculateHeartMaryjf0037 02 (cropped).JPG Bernardino Cruz Cortez January 23, 2015 – May 16, 2025
(9 years, 12 days)
Retired Coat of arms of Bernadino Cruz Cortez.svg
5 Bishop Dave Capucao.jpg Dave Dean Capucao September 5, 2025 – present
(1 day)
Coat of arms of Dave Dean Capucao.svg

Parishes

Vicariate of Infant Jesus and Saint Mark


Vicariate of Saint Joseph


Vicariate of San Luis Obispo


Vicariate of Saint Anthony of Padua

References

  1. "Infanta (Catholic Territorial Prelature)". gcatholic.org. Retrieved 2023-09-16.
  2. "Infanta (Territorial Prelature) [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2024-11-05.
  3. 1 2 "Prelature of Infanta". Claretian Publications. 26 May 2017. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  4. 1 2 Sacred Consistorial Congregation (August 1950). "Decree of Erection of the Prelature of Infanta". Boletin Eclesiastico de Filipinas. 24 (266): 514.
  5. Pius XII (1950). "Precibus annuentes (The Erection of the Prelature of Infanta)" (PDF). Acta Apostolica Sedis. 42: 587–589.
  6. Sacred Consistorial Congregation (November 1951). "Decree of Appointment of Rev. Fr. Patrick Harman Shanley, OCD as Apostolic Administrator". Boletin Eclesiastico de Filipinas. 25 (281): 680.

Sources