Cebuano ordained bishop today

August 10, 2015 is a red-letter day for the Cebu Archdiocese as one of its own priests is scheduled to be ordained

as a bishop.
Hundreds of bishops and priests from across the country are expected to attend the ordination of Most. Rev. Dennis

Villarojo, D.D. as bishop at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral in downtown Cebu City at 9 a.m. today.
He and Bishop-elect Oscar Florencio of Palo were recently chosen by Pope Francis to be Cebu’s new auxiliary

bishops.
Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma will preside over the concelebrated Mass and will be the principal consecrator during

the ordination rites.
Archbishop Emeritus of Cebu Ricardo Cardinal Vidal and Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines, Archbishop Giuseppe

Pinto will be the co-consecrators.
Appointment
Among those invited to witness Villarojo’s ordination were Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, Cotabato

Archbishop Orlando Cardinal Quevedo, and all members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.
In an earlier interview, Villarojo said he’s humbled by his elevation to the episcopate.
He said his appointment as bishop entails greater responsibilities which he will carry out with God’s grace.
Villarojo, a 48-year-old native of Cebu City, is the secretary-general of the forthcoming International Eucharistic

Congress (IEC) that will be held in Cebu from January 24 to 31 next year.
Ministry
With his appointment as bishop, Villarojo also unveiled his “coat of arms” or a distinct symbol of his episcopacy.
As featured in other coat of arms, Villarojo’s symbol has a Roman galero or a broad hat with six green tassels on

each side, 12 in total.
At the center is a cross which symbolizes Jesus Christ, the center in the life and ministry of a bishop.
Villarojo also decided to highlight the Magellan’s cross and kiosks in his coat of arms as a sign of his Cebuano

roots and his involvement in the IEC.
Villarojo also used as star on his coat of arms the symbol of the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel where he is a member of

the Third Order of the Discalced Carmelites.
Namesake
Beside the star is a sun which symbolizes the University of Sto. Tomas where he studied and finished his theology

degree.
He said the sun is also a reminder of Christ’s truth which he learned in the pontifical university.
Villarojo opted to use the color red as a background to symbolize the martyrdom of his namesake St. Denis, patron

of Paris, as well as St. Pedro Calungsod, and St. Lawrence whose feast day is celebrated today.
Red also symbolizes the new bishop’s Spanish family name Villarojo which means “a huge red house or a small red

village.”
On the bottom of his coat of arms is a text from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah: “Consolamini Popule Meus” or “Be

consoled by people.”
Ordained
Villarojo’s appointment will bring three auxiliary bishops in Cebu although Bishop Emilio Bataclan is set to retire

in September.
Bishop-elect Florencio will be ordained to the episcopate at the Palo Metropolitan Cathedral on Sept. 4 and will be

received in Cebu on Sept. 10.
For four years, Villarojo 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.
Villarojo finished his philosophy studies at the San Carlos Seminary in Cebu City.
He completed his theology studies at the University of Sto. Tomas, and earned his doctorate degree for philosophy

at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome.