Msgr. Dennis Villarojo of the Archdiocese of Cebu has been appointed bishop by Pope Francis.
The appointment was announced at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome yesterday, said Msgr. Joseph Tan, spokesperson of the Cebu Archdiocese. Villarojo, 48, was specifically designated as auxiliary bishop of Cebu.
Msgr. Oscar Florencio of the Archdiocese of Palo was also elected bishop and appointed auxiliary bishop of Cebu.
He and Villarojo will assist Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma in taking care of God’s flock in Cebu.
In a phone interview last night, Villarojo said his appointment as bishop entails greater responsibilities. “I take this as a gift from God for all the people of Cebu and for the International Eucharistic Congress (IEC),” he said.
Villarojo said he will continue to focus on his task as secretary-general for the upcoming IEC which will be held in Cebu City from Jan. 24 to 31, 2016.
The humble and soft-spoken prelate preferred to be called “monsignor or father” while he has yet to be officially inducted to the office of bishop.
Villarojo, a native of Cebu City, was ordained priest on June 10, 1994.
For four years, he served as private secretary of Archbishop Emeritus of Cebu Ricardo Cardinal Vidal before he went to Rome for further studies from 1998 to 2001. When he came back to Cebu, he became the head of the Pastoral Planning Board of the archdiocese.
In 2010, he was appointed team moderator of the Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Parish in Cebu City. He was then assigned as secretary-general of the 2016 IEC.