“I cannot fulfill this vision alone. I need your support, your active participation and most especially your prayers,” Most Rev. Luisito Audal Occiano, told the Catholic faithful of Catanduanes congregation as he took possession of the diocese last June 26, 2024 at the Immaculate Concepcion Cathedral.
Praising the spiritual maturity, vitality and dedication of the diocese, the new bishop asked everyone to join him in embarking on a journey with hope, faith and steadfast commitment.
“Our mission is clear: to bring the message of the Gospel to all corners of our diocese, to be a beacon of hope, and to reflect Christ’s love in all that we do,” he said.
“Our faith compels us to act with compassion striving to be a diocese that reflects the teachings of Christ, where love, mercy, and justice are not just ideals but lived realities,” Bishop Occiano stated, emphasizing the diocese’s mission to spread the Gospel’s message throughout the community, serving as a beacon of hope and embodying Christ’s love in all actions.
“As your new bishop, I am committed to listening to your hopes and concerns, working alongside you, and fostering a spirit of unity and love,” he added, pledging to lead with inclusivity, compassion and active community participation.
In his homily, the Archbishop of Lipa, Most Rev. Gilbert Garcera recalled that Occiano, as parish priest of the Archdiocesan Shrine of St. Joseph in San Jose, Camarines Sur and then director of Caceres Commission on Communications (CCCOM), was in Lipa to attend the 20th National Assembly of Rectors of Catholic Shrines lasty Feb. 19-21.
It was on the 20th that he received the unexpected call from the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Charles John Brown, on his nomination as the third Bishop of Virac.
It took the 53-year-old priest a day to consider the matter, doing so while joining the pilgrimage from the Padre Pio National Shrine to the Archdiocesan Shrine and Parish of Saint Joseph the Patriarch in Sto. Tomas, Batangas, and returned the papal nuncio’s call.
“Learn to live like St. Joseph, the foster father of Jesus and a man with a father’s heart,” Bishop Garcera advised the new bishop.
“Maghinanyog, maghimate as a listening bishop,” he added, citing Occiano’s background as a social communicator and digital evangelist.
He asked the diocese’s shepherd to make a new program and set a new direction, reminding him of his vow made during his ordination last June 21 in Naga City that he (Occiano) would uplift the marginalized, nurture the faith and build a community that reflects the life and love of Christ.
“But first, start by watching over one’s heart, mind and actions, and resisting anger… only then can you begin listening and discerning what God wants,” the Lipa bishop stressed.
After thanking the 76-year-old Bishop Emeritus Most Rev. Manolo delos Santos for his 30 years of service that saw an increase in priestly vocations and the multiplication of parishes, the papal nuncio urged Bishop Occiano to be a channel of the life of Christ and likewise asked the faithful to obey, respect and love the new bishop.
It was Archbishop Brown and Archbishop of Caceres Rex Andrew Alarcon who presided over the solemn installation of the new bishop before a crowd of parishioners, relatives, government officials led by Governor Joseph Cua, and the clergy, including Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula of Manila, Archbishop Rex Andrew Alarcon of Caceres and Archbishop Emeritus Rolando Octavus Tria-Tirona.