Another Filipino priest, this time from Surigao and an SVD, was appointed by Pope Francis as the new Bishop of Daru-Kiunga, Papua New Guinea.
Reverend Fr. Joseph Tarife Durero, S.V.D., who was vicar general of the Archdiocese of Madang, was appointed Bishop of Daru-Kiunga by Pope Francis in May, following the resignation of Bishop Gilles Côté, S.M.M.
Surigao Native
Bishop Joseph Tarife Durero, S.V.D. hails from Dapa, Surigao. He was born April 13, 1969 and ordained a priest on December 12, 1995.
He was assistant parish priest of the Holy Trinity Parish in Bogia from 1996 to 1997, and then the Saint Francis Xavier Parish from 1997 to 1998.
He became parish priest of the Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus on Ulingan from 1999 to 2000; Saint Paul Parish in Mirap from 2002 to 2009; and Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Yomba from 2010 - 2017.
SVD
Since 2017 he had been a member of the Society of Divine Word (S.V.D.) council for Papua New Guinea, was promoter of vocations for the S.V.D. in Papua New Guinea from 2009 to 2010; and became Madang District Superior of the SVD from 2008 to 2013 and from 2017 to 2019.
Prior to becoming Bishop of Daru-Kiunga, he was vicar general of the archdiocese since 2013 and administrator of Madang Cathedral since 2018.
500 Years of Christianity
As the Philippines celebrates 500 Years of Christianity, Bishop Durero is yet another testament to our Year of Missio Ad Gentes.
Other Filipinos who have been appointed by the Vatican include His Eminence Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, appointed in January 2020; Archbishop Bernardito Cleopas Auza, the current Apostolic Nuncio to Spain, appointed in October 2019; and Archbishop Tito Yllana, who was just appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Israel and Cyprus this June 2021.
Pope Francis also appointed a Filipino priest to the Papal household. Cebuano priest Father Jan Thomas Limchua was given the honorific title “Monsignore Cappellano di Sua Santità” or ‘Chaplain of His Holiness’ in 2020. And another Bicolano, Fr. Bonifacio Lopez, was also appointed by Pope Francis in 2020 as the first ever Chaplain of Sports in Rome.
Among the Orders, Fr. Gerard Timoner, another Bikolano, is presently the Master General of the Order of Preachers. Fr. Maximo Sevilla Jr is part of the General Council of the Oblates of St Joseph in Rome. Fr Lino Gregorio Redoblado is part of the General Council of Franciscans in Rome. And certainly there are many more.
Filipinos are truly 'gifted to give'!
by Margaux Salcedo
Art by Clyde Nolasco
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