OZAMIZ CITY -- Pope Francis named on Tuesday Isabela, Basilan Bishop Martin Jumoad to head the Archdiocese of Ozamiz.
“I thank God for giving me another chance to serve another local church particularly in Ozamiz. I thank Pope Francis for his trust and confidence in me for this new assignment,” Jumoad was quoted as saying by CBCP News, the news portal of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines.
“I leave Basilan with a heavy heart because I know the people and they love me. I will go to Ozamiz with faith and hope that the Lord will never abandon me and He will show me what to do,” Jumoad added.
“Please pray for me!” he asked.
The Ozamiz archdiocese covers the 14 towns and three cities of Misamis Occidental. As a metropolitan see, its suffragan territories are the dioceses of Iligan, Pagadian and Dipolog, and the prelature of Marawi.
All together, these ecclesiastical territories are popularly known as the Dopim (for Dipolog, Ozamiz, Pagadian, Iligan, and Marawi) area that covers the five northwestern Mindanao provinces of Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Misamis Occidental, Lanao del Norte, and Lanao del Sur.
Born in Pardo, Cebu City, Jumoad was ordained priest in 1983, and took over as the third prelate of Isabela in 2002.
Jumoad had stints as parish priest in Lamitan, Basilan. He also helped mold future priests as dean of the Saint Francis Xavier Regional Major Seminar, more known as Remase, in Davao City from 1990 to 1992. The seminary has a distinguished record of producing progressive and activist religious leaders.
Prior to becoming bishop, Jumoad was administrator of the Isabela prelature in 2001. From 1998 to 2001, he also served simultaneously as the prelature’s chancellor and as director of the Claret College of Isabela.
Jumoad is currently member of Episcopal Commission on Migrants and Itinerant People and the Episcopal Commission on Mission of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).
Cebuanos all
In a short statement to local radio DxDD, Dr. Rene Bullecer, director of the group Human Life International, welcomed Jumoad’s appointment saying his background makes him fit for the social challenges facing the archdiocese.
Bullecer has been working closely with the Church leadership in the city to oppose “anti-life” legislations and policies of the government.
The Cebuano Jumoad will replace a fellow Cebuano, 77-year old Monsignor Jesus Dosado, who retired two years ago but is still serving the Catholic flock in the city while waiting for the assumption of a new prelate.
A native of Sogod, Cebu, the Dosado has been bishop of Ozamiz since 1981.