Pope names new bishop of Daet

Pope Francis has appointed Fr. Andrew Alarcon as the new bishop of the Diocese of Daet in Camarines Norte.The appointment was made at the Vatican on Wednesday, Jan. 2, at 12 noon (7and00pm, Manila time).Alarcon, 47, will be the fourth bishop of the diocese, succeeding Archbishop Gilbert Garcera.The diocese has been without a bishop since April 2017 when Garcera was installed as archbishop of Lipa in Batangas.Born in Daet, Alarcon took his philosophy at the Holy Rosary Major Seminary in Naga City and his theology at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila.He was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Caceres on Nov. 9, 1996.From 1996 to 1997, he was parish vicar in the parish of Saint John the Evangelist in Naga and educator at the minor seminary.In 1997, he served as private secretary to the archbishop until 1999 when he went for study abroad.In 2001, he obtained his licentiate in Church history at Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, Italy.Returning home from Rome, he became a lecturer at the Holy Rosary seminary from 2002, director of the stewardship program of the Caceres archdiocese and, since 2007, superintendent of the Naga Parish School and president of the Catholic Association of Education.Since 2013 he has held the office of superintendent of the Catholic schools of Caceres, member of the college of consultors, and spokesman for the same archdiocese.