Monsignor Ruben Labajo will be installed as auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Cebu at 9 a.m. on August 19 at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral.
Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma will lead the installation rites of Bishop-elect Labajo who was assigned by Pope Francis to his new post on June 23 as auxiliary bishop of Cebu.
Archbishop Palma welcomed the appointment of Labajo who will be assisting him and Auxiliary Bishop Midyphil Billones in looking after the spiritual needs of the more than 4 million Roman Catholics in the province.
“He will be a big help to us, an enormous blessing to the Archdiocese of Cebu, particularly to our pastoral ministry which is often led by a bishop. We thank God for this blessing. Let us pray for our new bishop,” Archbishop Palma said over Radio Veritas.
“I am asking the faithful to pray for us that we may be able to fulfill our duty as servant leaders, that we may be good shepherds to our flock,” the Church leader added.
Bishop-elect Labajo has been a priest for almost 30 years. He will join Auxiliary Bishop Midyphil Billones and Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma in running the largest archdiocese in the country with about 400 diocesan priests and 200 others from various religious congregations.
Before his appointment, Labajo served as rector of the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral and was transferred to St. Francis of Assisi in Balamban town, Cebu where he served as the team moderator. He was also the vicar general of the archdiocese.