THE Archdiocese of Caceres lost and gained an archbishop on Thursday, February 22, 2024, with the retirement of Rolando Tria Tirona and the appointment of Rex Andrew Alarcon.
In a report by CBCP News, Pope Francis has appointed Daet Bishop Rex Andrew Alarcon as the new archbishop of Caceres.
"As archbishop of Caceres, Alarcon will oversee the pastoral care of Catholics in Naga City, considered the economic, cultural, educational, and religious center of the Bicol Region," said CBCP News.
Alarcon will be succeeding Tirona, who retired at the age of 77.
"Tirona has led the archdiocese since November 2012," said the official news agency of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).
Alarcon was born in Daet, Camarines Norte on August 6, 1970, and was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Caceres on November 9, 1996.
Before becoming a bishop, the 53-year-old led the Bicol Association of Catholic Schools and served as the president of the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP).
On January 2, 2019, the Vatican appointed him as the bishop of Daet.
Within the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), Alarcon currently serves as the chairman of the Episcopal Commission on Youth. (HDT/SunStar Philippines)