Pope Francis names new Bishop of Boac, Marinduque

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MANILA — Pope Francis has named the new Bishop of Boac, Marinduque.

Msgr. Marcelino Antonio Maralit, parish priest of Alitagtag, Batangas will be the fourth bishop of the diocese, according to an article posted on the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) news website.

Prior to his appointment, the priest served as pastor of the Invencion de la Santa Cruz parish at Alitagtag and member of the Council of Priests of the Archdiocese of Lipa since 2013.

The date for his episcopal ordination and installation has not been set.

Maralit was born in Manila on May 18, 1969 and studied philosophy at St. Francis de Sales Major Seminary in Lipa City.

He studied and earned a licentiate in Sacred Theology at the Universidad de Navarra in Pamplona, Spain. Likewise, he obtained a licentiate in Church History from the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome.

On March 13, 1995, he was ordained priest in the Archdiocese of Lipa.

The new bishop served as Vicar of the Immaculate Conception parish in Bauan, Batangas from 1995 to 1996; professor at the St. Francis de Sales Major Seminary in Lipa City from 1996-1996; and was earlier Deputy Director of the Diocesan Commission for vocations and later, became director of the same commission.

He was vice chancellor, professor, educator and Dean of Studies at St. Francis Theological Seminary from 2003 to 2009 and Rector of the St.

Francis Theological Seminary from 2009 to 2013.