Papal Nuncio ordains new Auxiliary Bishop of Jaro Archdiocese
From left: His Excellency Eduard Joseph Adams,
Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines (3rd) with newly
installed Auxiliary Bishop of Jaro, Most Reverend
Gerardo A. Alminaza, (2nd). Archbishop Angel Lagdameo
of Jaro Iloilo City, (1st), Bacolod Bishop Vicente Navarra,
(4th) and former Bacolod Bishop Camilo Gregorio with
several Bishops after the Episcopal Ordination of Bishop
Alminaza at the San Sebastian Cathedral, Bacolod City.
BACOLOD CITY -- His Excellency Archbishop Eduard Joseph Adams, Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines, officiated the Episcopal ordination of Most Reverend Gerardo A. Alminaza, D.D., as the Auxiliary Bishop of Jaro and Titular Bishop of Maximiana in Bycena.
Twenty three Bishops all over the country, priests and more or less 2,500 Catholic faithful graced the ordination held at the Bacolod San Sebastian Cathedral yesterday.
Bishop Alminaza was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI on May 29, 2008.
The apostolic nuncio relayed the message of Pope Benedict to Bishop Alminaza that God gave him a special grace and a unique sacrament.
"God has chosen him to care for his people. As a good shepherd, he will take good care of the sheep," the Papal Nuncio said.
"Show them the love the Lord has entrusted you. Always care for them and provide help when they need," he added.
He told Bishop Alminaza to carry out the sacred mission.
Bishop Alminaza in response said, "May He makes us an everlasting gift to you."
Alminaza said that he was raised by his parents to be grateful of his life. Every time he celebrates his birthday, his parents would always give him a birthday cake, they will attend mass to thank the Lord for the gift of life. Now that he is 49, God gave him more than a cake but the opportunity to enjoy the fullness of priesthood.
"This gift is not for me but for him to build up a community. My life is lived in the faithfulness of my ministry," Alminaza said as he thanked the many who touched his life.
He also thanked God for the constant invitation to live his life as a daily eucharist. He asked the Catholic faithful to pray for him that he may live a life in God's abiding presence.
He said that his ordination is not just about him but, "about us."
"Let us strengthen our hope and set aside the things that divide us and be able to move forward together. I was given only one life to live and for years that I have left, I commit to live and work in the realization of message of God to live as one," he stressed.
Alminaza's birthplace is in Sipalay. He was the only son of his parents. His father in wheelchair attended his ordination.
His father taught him how to be a good son and how to love unconditionally. His mother already died.
A religious brother told Bishop Alminaza that "when you become Bishop, the people will feed you with good food and they will not tell you the whole truth."
He said that if the people will not relate with leaders be in Church, Government or society, what will become of us?
"I will live in such a way that the priests will tell me the whole truth. I will empty myself so that the people will find it easy to tell me the truth and nothing but the truth. As the saying goes, the truth will set us free," he said.
Meanwhile, the City officials of Bacolod have honored the Papal Nuncio with an apostolic dinner held at the new government center. The Papal Nuncio also blessed the new government center.