Roman Catholic Diocese of Tagbilaran

The Diocese of Tagbilaran is a Latin Catholic ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in the Philippines, headquartered in Tagbilaran, Bohol. It is one of two dioceses in the province of Bohol, the other being the Diocese of Talibon. Both dioceses are suffragan to the Archdiocese of Cebu. The diocese was established on November 8, 1941.

Diocese of Tagbilaran Dioecesis Tagbilaranus Diyosesis sa Tagbilaran
Catholic
Tagbilaran Cathedral
Coat of arms
Location
Country	Philippines
Territory	Western Bohol (Alburquerque, Antequera, Baclayon, Balilihan, Batuan, Bilar, Calape, Catigbian, Clarin, Corella, Cortes, Dauis, Dimiao, Garcia Hernandez, Lila, Loay, Loboc, Loon, Maribojoc, Panglao, Sagbayan, San Isidro, Sevilla, Sikatuna, Tagbilaran, Tubigon, Valencia)
Ecclesiastical province	Cebu
Metropolitan	Cebu
Deaneries	8
Coordinates	9°38′22″N 123°51′21″E
Statistics
Area	1,734 km2 (670 sq mi)
Population Total Catholics	(as of 2021) 1,079,000 831,000[1] (77%)
Parishes	58
Information
Denomination	Catholic
Sui iuris church	Latin Church
Rite	Roman Rite
Established	November 8, 1941; 83 years ago (November 8, 1941)
Cathedral	Diocesan Shrine and Cathedral-Parish of Saint Joseph the Worker
Patron saint	Saint Joseph Saint Roch
Current leadership
Pope	Leo XIV
Bishop	Sede vacante
Metropolitan Archbishop	Alberto Sy Uy
Apostolic Administrator	Alberto Sy Uy
Bishops emeritus	Leonardo Y. Medroso (Bishop; 2006–2017) Alberto S. Uy (Bishop; 2017–2025)

History

Former Coat of arms of the Diocese of Tagbilaran (as illustrated in Philippine Studies)

The Diocese of Tagbilaran was created on November 8, 1941 and made a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Cebu by the apostolic constitution In sublimi Petri cathedra.^[2] But due to the complications caused by World War II, its first bishop, Julio Rosales, a priest of the Diocese of Palo took possession of the diocese after his episcopal consecration five years after Tagbilaran's erection.

On January 9, 1986, the diocese lost half of its territory after Pope John Paul II created the Diocese of Talibon, with its seat in Talibon, a major town on the northern coast of the island.^[3] The Diocese of Talibon absorbed half of the civil province of Bohol.

Bishops of Tagbilaran

No.	Bishop		Period in office	Notes	Coat of arms
1		Julio Rosales	June 22, 1946 – December 17, 1949 (3 years, 178 days)	Appointed Archbishop of Cebu
2		Manuel M. Mascariñas	November 12, 1951 – July 3, 1976 (24 years, 234 days)	Retired from office
3		Onesimo Cadiz Gordoncillo	July 3, 1976 – June 18, 1986 (9 years, 350 days)	Appointed Archbishop of Capiz
4		Felix S. Zafra	December 2, 1986 – April 21, 1992 (5 years, 141 days)	Retired from office
5		Leopoldo S. Tumulak	November 28, 1992 – January 15, 2005 (12 years, 48 days)	Appointed Military Ordinary of the Philippines
6		Leonardo Y. Medroso	December 14, 2006 – October 13, 2016 (9 years, 304 days)	Retired from office
7		Alberto S. Uy	January 6, 2017 – July 16, 2025 (8 years, 191 days)	Appointed Archbishop of Cebu

See also

• Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary
• Singing Priests of Tagbilaran
• List of the Roman Catholic dioceses of the Philippines