Archdiocese of Palo - Vocation Circle

03/11/2025

27/10/2025

DID YOU KNOW?
The Diocese of Naval was created from territories of the Archdiocese of Palo by Pope John Paul II on November 29, 1988, and canonically erected on January 3, 1989. It comprises the entire island of Biliran and four towns of northern Leyte along the Biliran Strait. Most Rev. Filomeno G. Bactol, D.D., was appointed its first bishop, with the Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Cathedral in Naval, Biliran, as its episcopal seat.

26/10/2025

DID YOU KNOW?
On March 22, 1988, Archbishop Pedro R. Dean, D.D., laid the cornerstone of the St. John the Evangelist School of Theology (SJEST) in Palo, Leyte, marking its official founding. Initially serving the Archdiocese of Palo and the Dioceses of Calbayog, Borongan, and Catarman, SJEST later included the Diocese of Naval and now has seminarians from the Dioceses of Maasin, Tagum, Surigao, Dumaguete, Mati, Butuan, Prosperidad, and the Military Ordinariate of the Philippines.

25/10/2025

DID YOU KNOW?
On February 14, 1983, the Archdiocese of Palo was canonically erected, giving full effect to the papal decree of November 15, 1982, and formally established as the metropolitan see of Eastern Visayas. Its titular patron was declared to be the Transfiguration of Our Lord. From then on, it shepherded the faithful of Leyte and guided its suffragan dioceses of Calbayog, Borongan, and Catarman, affirming its role as the ecclesiastical heart of the region.

24/10/2025

𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 | 𝐕𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐉𝐀𝐌𝐁𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐄 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓

Date: October 27, 2025 (Monday)
Time: 7:00 AM
Venue: Sacred Heart Seminary, Palo, Leyte

As a gesture of being one with the victims of the recent calamities, the Vocation Jamboree of the Archdiocese of Palo which was supposedly set in Tacloban Astrodome is transferred to Sacred Heart Seminary to cater just a simple yet meaningful celebration. This is also to put limit on the number of delegates as a precautionary measure for any unforeseen circumstances.

Let us unite in prayer and hope as we gather to celebrate the gift of vocation and our call to love and serve the Lord.

For inquiries:
Contact No.: 0951-945-3956
FB Page: Archdiocese of Palo – Vocation Circle

24/10/2025

DID YOU KNOW?
On November 15, 1982, by decree of Pope John Paul II, the Diocese of Palo was elevated to the rank of a Metropolitan Archdiocese, becoming the metropolitan see of the Ecclesiastical Province of Eastern Visayas. Its suffragan dioceses at that time were Calbayog, Borongan, and Catarman. The first Archbishop of the newly elevated Archdiocese was Most Rev. Cipriano V. Urgel, D.D., who had served as Bishop of Palo since 1973.

23/10/2025

DID YOU KNOW?

Bishop Filomeno G. Bactol was appointed by Pope John Paul II as the first Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Palo on July 29, 1981, and was ordained bishop on October 15, 1981. Later, on November 29, 1988, he became the first Bishop of the Diocese of Naval, was installed on March 8, 1989, and retired on October 13, 2017 after many years of faithful service.

23/10/2025

DID YOU KNOW?

On March 23, 1968, the papal decree was issued by Pope Paul VI to create the Diocese of Maasin. The new ecclesiastical jurisdiction, comprising the entire province of Southern Leyte and the six municipalities of Baybay, Matalom, Bato, Hilongos, Hindang and Inopacan in Leyte, was canonically erected on August 14, 1968. The Most Reverend Vicente T. Ataviado, D.D., was appointed as its first Bishop (in June 1968), consecrated on August 8, 1968, and installed on August 14, 1968.

21/10/2025

𝐃𝐈𝐃 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖?
During the Battle of Leyte, the Palo Cathedral was used by American forces as an evacuation hospital from October 1944 until early 1945.
A U.S. Army Signal Corps photograph (22 Oct 1944) documents the church filled with wounded soldiers. Civilian refugees also sought shelter under the care of Bishop Manuel Mascariñas, who opened the nearby convent to them.

𝘚𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘴:
𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘞𝘞𝘐𝘐 𝘔𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘶𝘮 𝘈𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴, 𝘚𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘊𝘰𝘳𝘱𝘴 𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰 (22 𝘖𝘤𝘵 1944)
𝘗𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘋𝘪𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵 (𝘉𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘰 𝘑. 𝘝𝘢𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘴, 29 𝘖𝘤𝘵 1944)
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘋𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵: 𝘔𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘚𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘢𝘳 𝘈𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘑𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘯 (𝘜.𝘚. 𝘈𝘳𝘮𝘺 𝘊𝘔𝘏)
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘦𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴, 𝘜.𝘚. 𝘈𝘳𝘮𝘺 𝘏𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘚𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴
𝘈𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘥𝘪𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘗𝘢𝘭𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴

20/10/2025

𝐃𝐈𝐃 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖?
Founded on June 1, 1944, amid the turmoil of World War II, the seminary in Palo, Leyte, was first established under the name Regina Pacis Seminary (Queen of Peace Seminary) by Most Rev. Manuel Mascariñas, D.D., the first Bishop of Palo, to form young men for the sacred priesthood.
On July 28, 1946, the institution was renamed Sacred Heart Seminary by Most Rev. William Piani, Apostolic Delegate to the Philippines.

20/10/2025

As we joyfully await for the 𝐕𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐉𝐀𝐌𝐁𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐄 on 𝐎𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐁𝐄𝐑 𝟐𝟕, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓, at 𝐒𝐀𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐒𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐑𝐘, 𝐏𝐀𝐋𝐎, 𝐋𝐄𝐘𝐓𝐄, let us celebrate Vocation Month with this inspiring music video:
“𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐒𝐄𝐍 𝐓𝐎 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄, 𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐓𝐎 𝐁𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐄”

Available soon on Spotify, YouTube Music, Apple Music, TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram!