Pope Francis appoints new Bacolod bishop

The Holy Father Pope Francis has appointed Diocese of Kabankalan (Negros Occidental) Bishop Patricio A. Buzon, SDB as the sixth bishop of the Diocese of Bacolod replacing Bishop Vicente M. Navarra who resigned two years ago upon reaching 75 years old, the mandatory age of retirement for bishops.

Buzon is a member of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines - Episcopal Commission on Youth. He is currently the president of the University of Santo Tomas Central Seminary Alumni Association.

Born on March 14, 1950 in Cebu City, the new Bacolod bishop earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Education, majoring in Electricity at the University of Santo Tomas (UST) in Manila, where he also completed his Bachelor of Sacred Theology degree.

He entered the Salesian Order as a professed member on June 29, 1967. His perpetual profession started on May 24, 1973.

Buzon served as spiritual moderator of the Don Bosco Missionary Seminary in Talisay, Cebu from 1977 to 1982 and later served as its rector from 1982 to 1988. From 1988 until 1992, he was also rector of Don Bosco Technical High School in Punta Princesa, Cebu.

He served as the Salesian Province’s vice-provincial from 1992 until 1997 and as provincial of the Salesians’ Mary Help of Christians Province-South before he was ordained bishop on Feb. 19, 2003 at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Punta Princesa, Cebu.

The prelate was installed as the second bishop of the Diocese of Kabankalan in Negros Occidental on March 12, 2003. (With a report from Leslie Ann G. Aquino)