Dennis Villarojo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dennis Villarojo D.D. |
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| Bishop of Malolos | |
Villarojo installation as bishop in 2019
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| Church |
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| Diocese | Malolos |
| Appointed | May 14, 2019 |
| Enthroned | August 21, 2019 |
| Predecessor | Jose F. Oliveros |
| Successor | Incumbent |
| Personal details | |
| Birth name | Dennis Cabanada Villarojo |
| Born | April 18, 1967 Cebu City, Philippines |
| Previous post |
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| Education |
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| Motto | Consolamini Populi Meus (Latin for 'Be consoled my people' – Isaiah 40:1) |
| Signature |  |
| Styles of Dennis C. Villarojo |
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| Reference style | The Most Reverend |
| Spoken style | Your Excellency |
| Religious style | Bishop |
Dennis Cabanada Villarojo (born April 18, 1967) is a Filipino Catholic leader. He is currently the fifth bishop of the Diocese of Malolos in the Philippines. Before this, Bishop Villarojo was an auxiliary bishop of Cebu from 2015 until he became Bishop of Malolos on August 21, 2019. He also served as the main organizer for the 51st International Eucharistic Congress held in Cebu in 2016.
Bishop Villarojo studied philosophy at the University of Santo Tomas. He also earned a doctorate in philosophy from the Pontifical University of the Sacred Heart in Rome.
He is also the Regional Representative for southwest Luzon in the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines. He is a member of the CBCP Office on the Protection of Minors.
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Early Life and Education
Dennis Villarojo finished high school at the Colegio de San Jose-Recoletos in Cebu City. He then studied philosophy at San Carlos Seminary College in the Archdiocese of Cebu. Later, he continued his training to become a priest at the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas in Manila. There, he completed his studies in theology and earned a special degree in Church Philosophy.
In 1993, he became a deacon, a step before becoming a priest. Cardinal Jaime Sin ordained him in Manila. A year later, on June 10, 1994, he was ordained as a priest for the Archdiocese of Cebu. This ceremony took place at the Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine in Cebu City. For four years, from 1994 to 1998, he worked as the personal secretary for Cardinal Ricardo Vidal. Cardinal Vidal was the main bishop of the archdiocese at that time.
From 1998 to 2001, Villarojo went to Rome to continue his studies in philosophy. He attended the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross and earned his doctorate degree.
After his studies in Rome, he returned to the Philippines. He continued to work as Cardinal Vidal's secretary until 2010. At the same time, he helped plan church activities for the archdiocese.
Starting in 2010, Bishop Villarojo led the pastoral team at the Our Lady of the Sacred Heart parish in Cebu City. In 2012, he was also chosen to be the secretary-general for the 51st International Eucharistic Congress. This big event was held in Cebu in January 2016.
Becoming a Bishop
On July 3, 2015, Pope Francis chose Dennis Villarojo to be one of the auxiliary bishops of Cebu. An auxiliary bishop helps the main bishop of a diocese. He was officially made a bishop on August 10, 2015. The ceremony took place at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral. Archbishop José S. Palma led the ceremony. Cardinal Ricardo Vidal and Giuseppe Pinto (who was the Pope's representative in the Philippines) also helped in the ceremony.
On May 14, 2019, Pope Francis appointed Bishop Villarojo as the new bishop for the Diocese of Malolos.
Official Installation
Bishop Villarojo's official installation took place on August 21, 2019. The ceremony was held at the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in the Diocese of Malolos. Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila and Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia (the Pope's representative to the Philippines at the time) led the event.
A special church service, called a Eucharistic Celebration, happened at the Malolos Cathedral. Many priests from Malolos and other bishops from the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) attended. This included Archbishop Romulo Valles and former Malolos Bishop Rolando Tria Tirona.
The Ceremony
On August 21, 2019, Bishop Villarojo arrived in the Diocese of Malolos for his installation. He was joined by many church leaders from the Archdiocese of Cebu, including Archbishop José S. Palma. Bishop Villarojo first visited the historic Barasoain Church. There, he was greeted by local priests and government officials, including Governor Wilhelmino Sy-Alvarado. After a short blessing at Barasoain Church, Bishop Villarojo paraded to the Malolos Cathedral.
Students from the Immaculate Conception School for Boys lined the path from Barasoain Church to the Malolos Cathedral to greet him. The parade continued even though it was raining heavily. The keys to the province were symbolically handed over to him by Vice Governor Daniel Fernando.
At the cathedral, the doors were opened, and Bishop Villarojo kissed the cross. This symbolized his arrival as the new leader of the diocese. The cathedral's priest, Rev. Fr. Domingo M. Salonga, and Bishop Honesto Ongtioco oversaw this part. Bishop Villarojo then gave his first blessing inside the cathedral. He walked to the altar, accompanied by Rev. Msgr. Pablo S. Legaspi Jr. He offered a prayer to Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, who is the patroness of the Diocese of Malolos. He also visited the burial place of past bishops of Malolos.
After his visit, Bishop Villarojo returned to the altar. He knelt before Archbishop Gabriele Caccia and read the official document for his installation. He then signed the document, along with Archbishop Caccia.
The main church service began with a song. Archbishop Caccia read a letter from Pope Francis, and Rev. Fr. Santos translated it into Filipino. Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle then gave Bishop Villarojo a silver crosier, which is a staff carried by bishops. Cardinal Tagle and Archbishop Caccia then seated him in the bishop's special chair. After this, different groups from the Diocese of Malolos, including local people, government members, and business leaders, welcomed him.
The blessing of the bread and wine during the service was led by Bishop Honesto Ongtioco, Archbishop Tirona, and Bishop Bartolome Santos.
The service ended with a Latin blessing from Bishop Villarojo. The song "Psalm 100" was sung, which is also known as "Salmo 100" or "Umawit Kang Masaya."
Bishop's Coat of Arms
A bishop's coat of arms is a special symbol that represents them. Bishop Villarojo has a personal coat of arms.
Coat of Arms as Bishop of Malolos
The shield has different parts that tell a story about Bishop Villarojo and his role.
- The church facade on a blue background shows the Barasoain Church. This church is famous because the First Philippine Republic was formed there in 1899.
- The Magellan's Cross Kiosk on a white background represents Cebu City. This is where Bishop Villarojo was born and became a priest. It also reminds us of the 51st International Eucharistic Congress, where he was a key organizer.
- Three cotton flowers on a green background symbolize the Province of Bulacan. The name "Bulacan" comes from the Tagalog word for cotton, "bulak." These flowers also mean good life and well-being in the province.
- The red base of the shield represents martyrs (people who died for their faith). This includes Saint Denis, Saint Pedro Calungsod (a Filipino saint from Cebu), and Saint Lawrence. Bishop Villarojo became a bishop on August 10, which is Saint Lawrence's feast day. The color red also connects to Bishop Villarojo's family name, Villarojo, which means "red house" or "red town" in Spanish.
- In the center of this red section is a sun. This sun represents the University of Santo Tomas, where he studied theology. The sun also stands for Christ, who is the Light of Truth.
- At the very center of the shield is a special symbol of the letters "A" and "M" woven together. This stands for "Auspice Maria," which means "Under the protection of Mary." It also reminds us of the prayer "Ave Maria" (Hail Mary).
- A crown with 12 stars is also part of this symbol. It refers to the Woman of Revelation in the Bible. These symbols represent Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception of Malolos, who is the patroness of the Diocese of Malolos. Her image was crowned in 2012 during the diocese's 50th anniversary.
- A brown cross divides the shield. This cross is from the diocese's official seal and shows Christ's great love for people. The brown color also shows Bishop Villarojo's special devotion to Mary, as he is part of the Discalced Carmelites, a religious group.
Bishop Villarojo's motto is Consolamini Popule Meus, which means "Be consoled my people." This comes from the Book of Isaiah in the Bible (Isaiah 40:1).
