NEW BISHOP FOR SAIPAN

Archdiocese of Agaña
Episcopal Conference
of the Pacific Press Release

Nov. 25, 2024

Pope Francis appoints Fr. Romeo D. Convocar as Bishop of Chalan Kanoa

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(CEPAC, Suva, Fiji) - The Holy Father, Pope Francis, has appointed the Very Reverend Fr. Romeo Duetao Convocar, former Apostolic Administrator and currently the Vicar-General of the Archdiocese of Agana, Guam, as the new Bishop of the Diocese of Chalan Kanoa, Northern Mariana Islands.

The appointment was officially published on November 25, 2024 (12:00 noon CET Rome). This appointment was also personally announced in Chalan Kanoa by His Eminence, Luis Antonio Gokim Cardinal Tagle, the Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, who is currently in Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, for the celebration of the Diocese of Chalan Kanoa's 40th Anniversary of Canonical Establishment. 

The Reverend Fr. Convocar was born in Iloilo, Philippines. He completed both his high school studies and his bachelor of arts major in philosophy with a minor in English at St. Joseph Seminary in Dumaguete City and his theological studies at St Joseph Regional Seminary in Jaro, Iloilo City.

He was ordained into the Sacred Order of Priesthood for the Military Ordinariate on September 17, 1996. Subsequently, he was commissioned as a Military Chaplain in the Armed Forces of the Philippines with the rank of Captain. He completed his Technical Service Officers Basic and Advance Courses at the Philippine Army Training and Doctrine Command at Fort Ramon Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija. He served as a chaplain officer for about ten years and was assigned to various military installations and commands under the headquarters units and the Navy. Moreover, he also served for about five years as the Spiritual Director and Procurator of the Domus Josephi Formation House, a seminary of the Military Ordinariate.

The Reverend Father Convocar moved to Guam and was incardinated in the Archdiocese of Agana. He has served as the Parish Administrator of St Joseph Church in Inalajan, Pastor of San Isidro in Malojloj, and Rector of Agana Cathedral-Basilica. Currently, he is the Administrator of Blessed Diego Luis de San Vitores Parish in Tumon. Moreover, as he has studied Tribunal Practice at the Institute of Tribunal Practice, which is affiliated with the Catholic Institute of Sydney and governed by the Canon Law Society of Australia and New Zealand, he furthermore serves as an Advocate and Auditor in the Metropolitan Tribunal.

Bishop-Elect Convocar was also a formator of seminarians of the archdiocese before the closure of the seminaries in Guam. He served as the Vicar-General to former Agana Archbishop Most Rev. Michael Jude Byrnes until his resignation on March 28, 2023, due to health reasons. At the time of Archbishop Byrnes' resignation, he was named by His Holiness Pope Francis as the Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese of Agana, the office that he served for more than a year.

Since August 15, 2024, the Very Reverend Father Charlie Borja has served as the Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Chalan Kanoa following the appointment of Archbishop Ryan Pagente Jimenez as the Metropolitan Archbishop of Agana.

The Bishop-Elect's Episcopal Consecration will be announced at a later date.