Bishop Jose F. Oliveros of the Diocese of Malolos, Bulacan, has passed away after a long battle with prostate cancer. He was 72.

Fr. Nicanor Lalog of the Commission of Social Communications of the Malolos diocese said Oliveros collapsed on the morning of May 11. He was rushed to the Mary Immaculate Hospital where doctors failed to revive him.

His remains now lie in state at the Cathedral-Basilica

Minore of the Immaculate Conception in Malolos City. He will be buried on May 17 after the 9 a.m. requiem Mass.

Bishop Oliveros was born on Sept. 11, 1946, to Vicente Oliveros and Angelina Francisco in Quezon, Quezon.

He took his philosophical studies at the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in Sariaya, Quezon, and his theological studies at the University of Santo Tomas Central Studies. He obtained his doctorate on sacred theology in Angelicum, Rome.

Ordained by Pope Paul VI

He was ordained priest on Nov. 28, 1970, at Rizal Park, Manila, by Blessed Pope Paul VI during the first papal visit to the Philippines in history.

He was appointed second Bishop of Boac in Marinduque, on Feb. 2, 2000, and was ordained to the episcopate on March 20, 2000 at the San Diego de Alcala Cathedral, Gumaca, Quezon.

Bishop Oliveros was appointed apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Malolos on Aug. 15, 2003 . He was formally installed fourth bishop of Malolos on Aug. 5, 2004.

As bishop of Malolos, Oliveros organized the golden jubilee of the diocese in 2012 and convoked the Second Synod of Malolos in 2013. He set up a low-cost housing program for the poor, called the “Jubilee Shelter Program.” At the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, he headed the Office of Bioethics.

Oliveros was diagnosed with prostate cancer 10 years ago. His condition worsened in 2015 and he underwent 30 chemotherapy sessions.

“He bore all these sufferings by being true to his episcopal motto, ‘Confido in misericordia Dei,’ that is, ‘I trust in the mercy of God’ (Ps.52:8),” said Father Lalog.

Oliveros was greatly overjoyed last April 30 when he helped consecrate to the episcopate his own vicar-general, Msgr. Bartolome G. Santos Jr., who had been named by the Holy See as Bishop of Iba, Zambales.

On the eve of his death, Bishop Oliveros posted on his Facebook page: “What is this ‘in a little while’ mentioned by Jesus in today’s Gospel (Acts 1:1-11; Ascension account)? No one knows; what we know is that it will happen sooner or later. We must therefore be prepared at all times to welcome Jesus when He returns.”

100 years of Fatima

Meanwhile, Bishop Santos will preside over today, May 13, the closing celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Marian apparitions in Fatima, Portugal.

Santos is rector of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima in Valenzuela.

“Let us honor all the mothers through our prayer and devotion to Our Lady of Fatima,” Monsignor Santos said.

On May 25, Santos will be installed bishop of Iba, Zambales, by the apostolic nuncio to the Philippines, Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia.

Fr. Mark Ventura

The Association of Major Religious Superiors of the Philippines (AMRSP) headed by Sis. Regina Kuizon, RGS, and Fr. Cielito Almazan, OFM, has condemned the killing of Fr. Mark Ventura of the Archdiocese of Tuguegarao.

The parish priest of Gattaran, Cagayan, Fr. Ventura was gunned down April 29 after celebrating Sunday Mass.

He had been reportedly critical of mining encroachments on tribal land of his parishioners.

“Fr. Mark is known to be passionate in his ministry and dedicated advocate of the care for creation as he spoke against mining and (for) the empowerment of indigenous peoples and love for the poor in the peripheries,” said the AMRSP.

Meanwhile, the University of Santo Tomas (UST) held a Mass for the slain priest and “the persecuted clergy” on May 4 at its Santissimo Rosario Church.

Ventura finished Licentiate in Sacred Theology at the UST Central Seminary. He was later made rector of the Tuguegarao seminary.

Caritas Manila

Caritas Manila (CM) conducted last May 11 its “Back-to-School Telethon” for its “Tithing for the Poor” program at the Ramada Hotel in Manila.

Cash donations for various CM programs can be made through Cebuana Lhuillier and online at https://ushare.unionbankph.com/caritas or through bank deposit at: Caritas Manila (account name) Bank of the Philippine Islands SA no. 3063-5357-01; Banco De Oro SA no. 5600-45905; Metrobank SA no. 175-3-17506954-3

For proper acknowledgment, donor may send Caritas Manila copy of the deposit slip to caritas_manila@yahoo. com; or fax to 563-9306.

Novena to miracle saint

Santo Domingo Church in Quezon City is holding the Novena to San Vicente Ferrer every Friday, 5:30 p.m. A Dominican missionary during the medieval ages, San Vicente Ferrer is considered a miraculous saint and the patron saint of builders.

The church is also holding every Wednesday, 5:30 p.m., the perpetual novena to St. Dominic de Guzman, founder of the Dominican Order.