Diocese of Surigao

The Diocese of Surigao was established on June 3, 1939;comprising the then

entire civil province of Surigao.

In 1960 the province of Surigao was divided into two: Surigao del Norte and
Surigao del Sur. On June 6, 1978 the Diocese of Tandag was established in
Surigao del Sur.

The Diocese of Surigao today covers the entire civil province of Surigao del Norte,
while the Diocese of Tandag covers the civil province of Surigao del Sur. Both
dioceses are suffragans of the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro.

The Diocese of Surigao was headed by His Most Reverend Miguel C. Cinches, SVD, D.D., PhD, assisted by
52 diocesan and religious priests over a total of 26 parishes. There are 40 religious sisters in the diocese
who help supervise 13 Catholic schools and 3 charity clinics. There are 9 pastoral centers, 14 religious
organizations, and 432 Basic Ecclesial Communities in the province.

On October 11-16 and again on November 15-20, the First Diocesan Synod of the Diocese of Surigao took
place at the Pope John XXIII Diocesan Pastoral Center in Surigao City in 1993. The meeting of October
tackled the first phase, while that of November looked into the second phase. The Decree of Promulgation
was formalized by Most Reverend Miguel Cinches, Bishop of Surigao on June 21, 1994.

Emerging from this Synod, the vision statement proclaims that the faithful of the Diocese of Surigao, as
followers of Christ, "aim to make the Church a living witness of God's loving presence by becoming a
serving, evangelizing and worshipping community."

And the attendant mission to this vision is for the faithful to become a community of disciples working in the
vineyard of the Father, who resolve to "build and strengthen Basic Ecclesial Communities; revitalize
Christian values in the family; promote intensive re-evangelization through witnessing of all who belong to
the diocese; involve actively the lay faithful in all Church activities in partnership with Clergy and Religious;
support and intensify the promotion of priestly and religious vocations; and act appropriately and decisively
on the religious, political and socio-economic issues."

Basic in the decrees is the setting up of a diocesan pastoral staff to oversee the activities of the different
apostolates, the setting up of advisory bodies to help the bishop as pastor of the diocese, the emphasis on
witnessing as the most important element in living the faith, and the introduction of tithing to help support the
"church of the poor."

And most basic too among the work of the diocesan apostolates is the building of Basic Ecclesial
Communities (BEC's) to become the over-all basic structure that will program the different apostolates
through all the parishes.

Most Rev. Antonieto D. Cabajog, D.D.

Ordained priest: April 9, 1981
Ordained bishop: March 16, 1999
Appointed Bishop of Surigao: 2001

PERSONAL

Birth:May 10, 1956

Place of Birth:Cebu City
Sacerdotal Ordination:April 9, 1981 – Church of the Holy Trinity, Loay, Bohol
Episcopal Ordination:March 16, 1999 – Cathedral of St. Joseph the Worker, Tagbilaran City
EDUCATION
* Primary
Botoc Oriental Primary School
* Botoc Oriental, Loay, Bohol 1963-1967
Intermediate
College of the Holy Spirit
* Tagbilaran City 1967-1969 High School
Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary
* Taloto, Tagbilaran City 1969-1973 Philosophy
Faculty of Philosophy
* University of Sto. Tomas España, Sampaloc,
Manila 1973-1977 Theology
Faculty of Theology
* University of Sto. Tomas España, Sampaloc,
Manila 1977-1980 Canon Law
* Faculty of Canon Law
University of Sto. Tomas España, Sampaloc,
Manila 1980-1981
* Faculty of Canon Law
Universita di Sto. Tommaso (Angelicum)
Rome, Italy 1983-1986
* Degrees
* Bachelor of Arts (A.B.)
Faculty of Philosophy
University of Sto. Tomas (Manila)
* Bachelor of Philosophy (Ph.B.)
Faculty of Philosophy
University of Sto. Tomas (Manila)
* Licentiate in Philosophy (Ph.L.)
Faculty of Philosophy
University of Sto. Tomas (Manila)
* Bachelor of Theology (S.T.B)
Faculty of Theology
University of Sto. Tomas (Manila)
* Licentiate in Canon Law (J.C.B.)
Faculty of Canon Law
University of Sto. Tomas (Manila)
* Doctorate Cycle in Canon Law
Universita di Sto. Tommaso (Angelicum)
Rome, Italy
MINISTRY
* 1981-1983 Spiritual Director, Immaculate
Heart of Mary Seminary (College Dept.),
Past and Present Ordinaries
• John Vrakking, M.S.C. † (25 May 1940 Appointed - 12 Dec 1953 Resigned)
• Charles Van den Ouwelant, M.S.C. † (23 Mar 1955 Appointed - 10 Jan 1973 Resigned)
• Miguel C. Cinches, S.V.D. (10 Jan 1973 Appointed - 21 Apr 2001 Resigned)
• Antonieto Dumagan Cabajog (21 Apr 2001 Appointed - )
Tagbilaran City
* Professor, Immaculate Heart of Mary
Seminary, (College/High School) Tagbilaran
City
* 1986-1990 Secretary to the Bishop
* Chaplain, Mother Butler Mission Guild
* 1987-1988 Diocesan Economus
* 1987-1990 Member, Diocesan Economic
Council
* 1988-1990 Diocesan Chancellor
* Member, Board of Consultors
* Chaplain, Cursillo de Cristianidad
* 1989-1990 Associate Judicial Vicar,
Diocesan Tribunal
* 1990-1993 CBCP Assistant Treasurer
* 1990-1994 CBCP Assistant Secretary
General
* Defender of the Bond, National Appellate
Matrimonial Tribunal
* 1991-1994 Professor, UST Faculty of Canon
Law
* 1992-1994 Member, CBCP Budget &
Finance Office
* 1993 Judge, National Appellate
Matrimonial Tribunal
* Member, Nat'l. Permanent Committee for
Int'l. Eucharistic Congresses
* Member, Canon Law Society of the
Philippines
* 1993-1994 CBCP Acting Treasurer
* 1994 Judicial Vicar, Diocesan Tribunal
* Diocesan Economus
* Chaplain, Mother Butler Mission Guild
* 1994-1996 Corporate Secretary, Bohol
Heritage Foundation
* Member, Diocesan Personnel Board
* Spiritual Director, Immaculate Heart of Mary
Seminary (College Dept.)
* Diocesan Chancellor
* Chaplain, Cursillo de Cristianidad
* 1996-1997 Parish Priest, St. Augustine
Parish, Panglao, Bohol
* 1997-1999 Parish Priest, Cathedral of St.
Joseph the Worker, Tagbilaran City
* Jan 13, 1999 Appointed Auxiliary Bishop of
Cebu
 Bishop Emeritus of Surigao

Bishop John Vrakking, M.S.C. †

(Deceased) Titular Bishop of Cedamusa

Events

Date Age Event Title

27 Dec 1886 Born Naarden, Netherlands
13 Aug 1911 24.6 Ordained Priest Priest of Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
25 May 1940 53.4 Appointed Bishop of Surigao, Philippines
21 Sep 1940 53.7 Ordained Bishop Bishop of Surigao, Philippines
12 Dec 1953 67.0 Resigned Bishop of Surigao, Philippines
12 Dec 1953 67.0 Appointed Titular Bishop of Cedamusa
29 Jan 1961 74.1 Died Bishop Emeritus of Surigao, Philippines

Bishop Charles Van den Ouwelant, M.S.C. †

(Deceased)

Events

Date Age Event Title

3 Jul 1911 Born Zundert
10 Aug 1936 25.1 Ordained Priest Priest of Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
23 Mar 1955 43.7 Appointed Bishop of Surigao, Philippines
21 Jun 1955 44.0 Ordained Bishop Bishop of Surigao, Philippines
10 Jan 1973 61.5 Resigned Bishop of Surigao, Philippines
22 Aug 2003 92.1 Died Bishop Emeritus of Surigao, Philippines

Bishop Miguel C. Cinches, S.V.D.

Events

Date Age Event Title

7 Feb 1932 77.2476.7 Born Dauis
22 Oct 1961 29.7 Ordained Priest Priest of Society of the Divine Word
10 Jan 1973 40.9 Appointed Bishop of Surigao, Philippines
24 Mar 1973 41.1 Ordained Bishop Bishop of Surigao, Philippines
21 Apr 2001 69.2 Resigned Bishop of Surigao, Philippines

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