The small green heart set at the center of Bishop Edwin Panergo’s episcopal ring drew quiet curiosity during his installation Mass on Tuesday.
The new bishop of Boac later revealed its meaning — a promise to defend creation in a province long marked by environmental struggle because of mining.
He said the design carries deep intention. The heart represents the whole province of Marinduque, while its green color reflects the people’s hopes to safeguard the island’s environment.
“I was touched by your prayers for the environment,” Panergo told the packed Immaculate Conception Cathedral. “This green heart will remind me that one of the concerns in the hearts of Marinduqueños is love for creation.”
Ordained for the Diocese of Lucena, he said his priestly vocation began unexpectedly after watching a film about St. Francis of Assisi — the patron of ecology — as a schoolboy. The saint, he said, has been his guide ever since.
“With humility and faith in the decision of the pope, I accept,” he said. “Mama Mary is my model as a bishop.”
He outlined his pastoral vision using the acronym “YESS”: Yours, Everybody, Shepherding and Sustainability.
Grace, he warned, must always come in a deep relationship with God. “Grace without a relationship will corrupt,” he said.
Panergo, who was ordained bishop at the Lucena Cathedral on Dec. 1, said synodality must also be truly inclusive. “Everybody is part of the journey — even sinners,” he said. “God does not abandon.”
He reminded parishioners that they too share responsibility for guiding the Church. “You are shepherds as well,” he said. “You can feed one another, and you can even feed me so I may become a holy bishop.”
On sustainability, he urged the community to keep working together. “After the welcome, the question is: will we continue to walk together? Synodus. Are you with me?” he asked, prompting a loud “yes” from the congregation.
Panergo succeeds Bishop Marcelino Antonio Maralit Jr., who became bishop of San Pablo in 2024.
As he begins his ministry, Panergo said he brings with him two values shaped in his home diocese of Lucena: “love for truth and love for justice.”
