Bishop Emeritus Camilo Gregorio of the Prelature of Batanes will be buried May 28 after the necrological service at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Basco where his remains have lain in state since May 25.

Gregorio passed away May 21 due to cardiac arrest at the Cardinal Santos Memorial Hospital in San Juan City where he had been confined for pneumonia; he was 78. Gregorio was assistant secretary at the Apostolic Nunciature before he was appointed auxiliary bishop of Cebu (1987-1989). He became the fourth bishop of Bacolod 1989, but unable to connect well with the local clergy whom he found too politically active, resigned in 2000.

He became the fourth prelate of Batanes in 2003 and he served there for 14 years until May 2017 when his retirement was accepted by the Holy See.

Gregorio is the third prelate to die this year after Bishop Emeritus Jesus Varela of Sorsogon (Feb. 28) and Bishop Jose Maria Oliveros of Malolos (May 11).

Like Varela and Oliveros, Gregorio finished his theological studies at the University of Santo Tomas. Like Varela, he took up higher studies at the Angelicum in Rome.

Greogorio was born in Cuyapo, Nueva Ecija on Sept. 25, 1939. He was ordained priest for the Diocese of San Jose in Nueva Ecija in 1963. While in UST, he joined the Dominican Third Order, which is now the Priestly Fraternities of St. Dominic. It is for this reason that his remains lay in wake May 22-25 at the Santo Domingo Church. The Philippine Dominican Province held last Thursday a necrological Mass led by Dominican clerical fraternity bishops.

Sister Faustina relics

Devotees of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska of the Blessed Sacrament may visit her first-class relics at the Radio Veritas Chapel at Paramount Bldg, West Avenue-Edsa, Quezon City May 29 to June 5,.

Known as the “Patron Saint of Mercy,” the Polish nun exposed the miracle of the Divine Mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ who first appeared to her vision on 1924.

After her death a number of miracles were attributed to her intercession. Pope John Paul II beatified her on April 18, 1993 and canonized her on April 30, 2000.

“In times of despair, we are calling all Catholic faithful to be like St. Faustina who trust and reunite with our Lord Jesus Christ by being merciful to others,” RV president Fr. Anton C.T. Pascual said.
Novenas

Santo Domingo Church in Quezon City is holding every Wednesday, 5:30 p.m., the perpetual novena to St. Dominic de Guzman, founder of the Dominican Order. It is also holding the novena to San Vicente Ferrer every Friday, 5:30 p.m.

For announcements, e-mail [email protected].