Pope Leo XIV has elevated the Apostolic Vicariate of Calapan to a diocese and appointed its current apostolic vicar, Moises Cuevas, as its first bishop.
The announcement was made at the Vatican on Wednesday at noon local time (7 p.m. in the Philippines).
The move signals recognition of the local church’s pastoral and organizational maturity after decades of growth as a mission territory.
It also reflects the stability of the Catholic Church in Oriental Mindoro, home to about 980,000 people, including roughly 800,000 Catholics.
Cuevas, 52, has led the territory since September 2023 and is the youngest bishop in the Philippines.
In July 2025, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines agreed to endorse Cuevas’ petition for the canonical elevation of Calapan to a diocese.
The new diocese comprises 41 parishes and operates three seminaries and 14 schools serving more than 11,000 students across the province.
It also runs a home for the aged, the only such facility in the MIMAROPA region, alongside various social and pastoral ministries.
The diocese has 60 diocesan priests, all native clergy, five Society of the Divine Word missionaries assisting in parishes, and 57 seminarians in formation.
The territory was established as the Apostolic Prefecture of Mindoro and remained so for 15 years before becoming an apostolic vicariate in 1951.
Once a scattered mission entrusted to the SVD missionaries, the local church has developed steadily, with active lay participation and coordinated pastoral programs.
Its core program, “Hapag ng Pamilyang Mindoreño,” integrates initiatives and promotes a balanced, missionary approach to proclaiming the Gospel across communities.
The Vatican’s approval comes as Calapan marks its 75th anniversary as an apostolic vicariate this year.
