Diocese of Virac
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Diocese of Virac Dioecesis Viracensis Diyosesis ng Virac |
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|---|---|
| Location | |
| Country | Philippines |
| Territory | Catanduanes |
| Ecclesiastical province | Caceres |
| Metropolitan | Caceres |
| Statistics | |
| Area | 1,511 km2 (583 sq mi) |
| Population - Total - Catholics |
(as of 2010) 251,000 243,000 (96.8%) |
| Information | |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Sui iuris church | Latin Church |
| Rite | Roman Rite |
| Established | 27 May 1974 |
| Cathedral | Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Virac, Catanduanes |
| Current leadership | |
| Pope | Francis |
| Bishop | Manolo Alarcon de los Santos |
| Metropolitan Archbishop | Rolando Joven Tria Tirona |
| Vicar General | Jose B. Molina |
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Virac (Lat: Dioecesis Viracensis) is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines. The Diocese of Virac, Catanduanes was established in 1974, from territory in the Diocese of Legazpi and the diocese is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Caceres.
The current bishop is Manolo Alarcon de los Santos, appointed in 1994.
The Diocese of Virac in the islands of Catanduanes was canonically established on August 27, 1974 with the Most Rev. Jose Crisologo Sorra, from Virac, as the first Bishop. At the start, there were 16 parishes (11 town parishes and 5 barrio parishes) and around 25 priests in the active ministry assigned in the different parishes, diocesan commissions and offices, and in the seminary.
The Immaculate Conception Minor Seminary, located at the Fiat Compound in Cavinitan, was opened in 1976. The first batch of first year high school seminarians stayed at a dormitory located at the Immaculate Conception Seminary Academy (formerly Immaculate Conception Academy) in downtown Virac, where they also went for their academic studies. In the school year 1976-77, these seminarians were transferred to the Nazareth Homes (west wing) until the seminary was ready to house them. They used the present study hall as their dormitory while the seminary dorm was on its final finishing. The seminary dormitory was finished and used in the school year 1978-1979.
The Minor Seminary attracted many young boys, and many parents, and served as a seedbed for young vocations to the priesthood until the year 1984 when, together with the Immaculate Conception Seminary Academy (ICSA), it had to close due to financial constraints. The closure the Minor Seminary and ICSA was a great loss indeed.
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