Rufino Sescon
Rufino C. Sescon, Jr. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Bishop-elect of Balanga | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Church | Catholic Church | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Province | San Fernando | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| See | Balanga | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Appointed | December 3, 2024 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Installed | March 1, 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Predecessor | Ruperto Santos | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Previous post(s) |
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| Orders | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ordination | September 19, 1998 by Jaime Sin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Consecration | February 25, 2025 by Socrates Villegas | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | April 20, 1972 Manila, Philippines | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | Filipino | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Motto | Gratia ('Everything is a grace', St. Thérèse of Lisieux)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ordination history | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Styles of Rufino Sescon, Jr. | |
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 Coat of Arms of His Excellency, Rufino C. Sescon Jr. as Bishop of the Diocese of Balanga | |
| Reference style | |
| Spoken style | Your Excellency |
| Religious style | Bishop |
Rufino "Jun" Coronel Sescon Jr. OP (born April 20, 1972) is a Filipino prelate of the Catholic Church and a professed member of the Dominican Order. He is the bishop-elect of Balanga, having been appointed by Pope Francis in 2024.
Ordained to the priesthood in 1998, Sescon served as the personal secretary of then-Manila Archbishop Cardinal Jaime Sin. He eventually rose to become one of the Philippines' most prominent preachers throughout his tenure as rector of Quiapo Church.[2] He is also the executive director of the Catholic Mass Media Awards and a member of the Presbyteral Council of the Archdiocese of Manila.[3]
Early life and education
[edit]Rufino Coronel Sescon Jr. was born on April 20, 1972, in Manila, Philippines.[4] An alumnus of Colegio de San Juan de Letran,[2] he then studied philosophy and theology in San Carlos Seminary, where he obtained master's degrees in both disciplines.[4]
Ministry
[edit]Diaconate and priesthood
[edit]Sescon was ordained to the diaconate on March 21, 1998, by Jaime Cardinal Sin, then-archbishop of Manila. He was then subsequently assigned as the parish deacon of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish Church in Santa Mesa, Manila, as well as the financial officer of the Sta. Mesa Parochial School, now known as the Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic School.[5]
On September 19, 1998, Sescon was ordained to the priesthood by Cardinal Sin.[6] He then served as Sin's assistant secretary, and later, his personal secretary from 2001 (when Socrates Villegas, Sin's former secretary, became auxiliary bishop of Manila) until his death in 2005.[7] In 2005, he was named chaplain of the Santo Niño de Paz Greenbelt Chapel in Makati.[2] He also served as chancellor of the Archdiocese of Manila from 2008 to 2015, as well as the administrator of the Archbishop's Palace (Cardinal Sin's former residence) in Villa San Miguel, Mandaluyong.[8] In 2014, he was appointed priest-in-charge of Mary Mother of Hope Chapel at Landmark Makati. On September 28, 2020, he joined the Order of Preachers.[9] His last pastoral assignment as priest was at Quiapo Church, when he was appointed by Archbishop Jose Advincula as its rector and parish priest in 2022.[10] He also served as a member of the archdiocese's presbyteral council.[6][10]
Sescon was instrumental in elevating Quiapo Church as a national shrine in a process that took five months from the start of its application in February 2023 to the approval of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) in July.[8][11] Under his pastoral leadership, the Feast of Jesús Nazareno, once a parochial feast in Quiapo, was celebrated in all Philippine dioceses for the first time in 2025.[12][13]
Episcopate
[edit]On December 3, 2024, Pope Francis appointed Sescon as the fifth bishop of Balanga, succeeding Ruperto Santos, who vacated the diocese in 2023 in preparation for his new position as bishop of Antipolo.[7] Shortly after the announcement of his appointment, he visited the tomb of the late Cardinal Sin at the crypt of the Manila Cathedral.[2] His episcopal ordination is set to take place on February 25, 2025—the 39th anniversary of the People Power Revolution—at the Manila Cathedral. He will ordained by Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas as his principal consecrator, with Antipolo Bishop Ruperto Santos and Cubao Bishop Emeritus Honesto Ongtioco as his co-consecrators. The Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines Charles John Brown and Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula will also attend the consecration, the latter being the homilist of the Mass.[14] Sescon's canonical installation is expected to be held on March 1, at the Cathedral-Shrine of Saint Joseph in Balanga, Bataan.[15]
References
[edit]- ^ Pelaco, Arnel (February 1, 2025). "Ordination ni Bishop-elect Rufino Sescon Jr., plantsado na". Veritas PH. Retrieved February 2, 2025.
- ^ a b c d Esmaquel, Paterno II (December 4, 2024). "Faith 101: Who is Jun Sescon, new bishop of Balanga in Bataan?". Rappler. Retrieved February 1, 2025.
- ^ "Pope Francis Appoints Quiapo Rector as New Bishop of Balanga". Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila. December 3, 2024. Retrieved February 2, 2025.
- ^ a b "Resignations and Appointments" (PDF). Holy See Press Office. December 3, 2024. Retrieved February 1, 2025.
- ^ Ocampo, Joel V. (December 23, 2024). "Fr. Jun ng Quiapo, Now the Bishop-Elect of Balanga". Dominus Est. Retrieved February 1, 2025.
- ^ a b "Bishop Rufino Coronel Sescon Jr". UCA News. Retrieved February 1, 2025.
- ^ a b Lagarde, Roy (December 3, 2024). "Quiapo Church rector is new Balanga bishop". CBCP News. Retrieved February 1, 2025.
- ^ a b "Quiapo church rector appointed as new Balanga diocese bishop". GMA Integrated News. December 3, 2024. Retrieved February 1, 2025.
- ^ "PHILIPPINES | Philippine Province Receives Profession of 12 New Members". sacerdotes.op.org. September 28, 2020. Retrieved February 1, 2025.
- ^ a b Lagarde, Roy (December 5, 2024). "New Balanga bishop says appointment was unexpected". CBCP News. Retrieved February 1, 2025.
- ^ "The Gift of Shrinehood of the Minor Basilica and National Shrine of Jesus Nazareno". Quiapo Church. March 17, 2024. Retrieved February 1, 2025.
- ^ Rita, Joviland (January 3, 2025). "Jesus Nazareno feast to be celebrated nationwide for the first time — Quiapo Church official". GMA Integrated News. Retrieved February 2, 2025.
- ^ Lagarde, Roy (January 9, 2024). "Manila archdiocese asks Vatican to designate Jan. 9 as nat'l feast of the Black Nazarene". CBCP News. Retrieved February 2, 2025.
- ^ Patinio, Ferdinand (February 1, 2025). "Balanga's new bishop to be ordained Feb. 25". Philippine News Agency. Retrieved February 1, 2025.
- ^ "New bishop to be ordained for Balanga diocese". CBCP News. January 12, 2025. Retrieved February 1, 2025.
External links
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