Pope names new bishop of Daet

MANILA, Philippines – Pope Francis on Wednesday, January 2 named Rev. Fr. Rex Andrew Alarcon of the Caceres archdiocese as the new bishop of Daet in Camarines Norte.

Alarcon, 48, who is currently serving as a Trustee-at-large of the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) will succeed Archbishop Gilbert Garcera, who was appointed archbishop of Lipa in February 2017.

Alarcon is set to be the 4th bishop of Daet, which was created in May 1974. The diocese which is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Caceres covers the province of Camarines Norte.

Born in Daet, the bishop-designate studied philosophy at the Holy Rosary minor seminary in Naga City; theology at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila; and licentiate in Church history at the Gregorian University in Rome.

A priest of Caceres since 1996, Alarcon once served as personal secretary to the archbishop. Aside from his work at the CEAP, Alarcon also held the office of the superintendent of the Catholic schools in Caceres since 2013 while working as a member of the college of consultors and spokesman of the same diocese. – Rappler.com