Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Palo - Archbishop of Palo

Archbishop of Palo

Archbishop John Forrosuelo Du, the newly appointed Archbishop of Palo was installed on May 9, 2012 at 9:30AM by the Papal Nuncio to the Philippines, His Excellency Archbishop Giuseppe Pinto at the Metropolitan Cathedral, Palo, Leyte.

After more than a year the Archdiocese of Palo finally has a new Archbishop, to the delight of all the faithful of the local Church when Pope Benedict XVI appointed Archbishop John F. Du, as officially announced last February 25, 2012 to be the Shepherd of the Archdiocese of Palo.

The New Archbishop, His Excellency Archbishop John F. Du was born in Bantayan, Cebu City, on October 18, 1954. He completed his High School studies and attended a special course at Pope John XXIII Seminary. From 1971 to 1975 he took his Philosophy at San Carlos Junior College of Cebu, and then his Theology in St. Augustine Major Seminary, under the SVD Fathers in Tagaytay City. He was ordained for the Archdiocese of Cebu on June 1, 1979. After his priestly ordination he was assigned as Assistant Pastor for three years. In 1982 he was appointed Professor at the Minor Seminary of Cebu, becoming later its Procurator and Rector. He became the spiritual director of the Missionaries of Charity in Cebu and a member of the Committee of the ongoing formation of the clergy of the Archdiocese.

He was elected titular bishop of Timici and auxiliary bishop of Cebu on November 21, 1997, and was consecrated on January 6, 1998. On April 21, 2001 he was transferred to the Diocese of Dumaguete. He is currently the Treasurer of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines and the Chairman of the CBCP Pension Plan.

As the new Archbishop of Palo, he will head around 1.2 million Roman Catholics in his care. He will be serving 63 parishes, 1 Chaplaincy and 13 Mission Stations, divided into two districts: the Eastern District (the waray speaking, comprising the vicariates of Tacloban, Carigara, Burauen, Chancery seminary, Abuyog and Palo), and the Western District (Cebuano speaking people which consist of the vicariates of Ormoc and Palompon)