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November 28th each year is a special date for the Diocese of San Pablo in Laguna. It commemorates the beginning of this particular local Church in the Southern Tagalog region of Luzon. The Diocese of San Pablo, erected through the Apostolic Letter Ecclesiarum per ampla on Nov. 28, 1966, was the last of the four ecclesiastical units carved out of the Diocese of Lipa since this was created as a separate diocese from the Archdiocese of Manila in 1910. The first was the Apostolic Prefecture of Mindoro in 1936, then the Diocese of Lucena in 1950, followed by the Prelature of Infanta in 1951 and finally the Diocese of San Pablo in 1966 (the canonical erection took place in April 18, 1967), which comprises the City of San Pablo and the whole province of Laguna.
"Iisdemque novam dioecesim constituimus, ab urbe vulgo San Pablo Sancti Pauli in Insulis Philippinis cognominandam. Novae huius dioecesis sedes episcopalis in eadem urbe San Pablo erit, episcopalis vero magisterii cathedra in curiali sacra aede, quae in eadem urbe exstat atque Sancto Paulo Eremitae est dicata."
Ecclesiarum Per Ampla, Pope Paul VI
When the Diocese of San Pablo was created, there were only six (6) vicariates, thirty-three (33) parishes, and forty (40) priests spreading the word of God. Its first Bishop was Bishop Pedro N. Bantigue, DD, who served the diocese for almost 29 years. He was succeeded by Bishop Francisco C. San Diego, DD, who took canonical possession of the diocese on Aug. 22, 1995.
After almost eight (8) years of service in the diocese, he accepted his appointment as the first Bishop of Pasig. For almost a year, the diocese was vacant (sede vacante). Bishop Bernardino C. Cortez was the elected Diocesan Administrator until the appointment of the Bishop Leo M. Drona, SDB, D.D., the third Bishop of San Pablo, on May 14, 2004. After the Holy Father accepted his resignation in 2012, a new Bishop was appointed for the Diocese. The fourth and present Bishop of San Pablo is Bishop Buenaventura M. Famadico, DD, formerly the Bishop of Gumaca. He was appointed on January 25, 2013 and was canonically installed on March 2, 2013.
After fifty-five (55) years since its erection, the Diocese has 4 episcopal districts, 13 vicariates and 91 parishes. There are five (5) male Religious congregations who administer 10 of these parishes. Presently, the Diocese of San Pablo has 141 diocesan priests, and around 60 male and female religious congregations who comprise the Association of Religious in Laguna (ARELA). The Diocese has a Diocesan College Seminary - St. Peter’s College Seminary, located in the seat of the diocese at San Pablo City, and the other one is in Tagaytay - San Pablo Theological Formation House. Including many lay movements and religious organizations, the Diocese of San Pablo is a dynamic local church in the Southern Tagalog region.
"Let the Church always be a place of mercy and hope, where everyone is welcomed, loved and forgiven."
Pope Francis
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The coat of arms of the Diocese is an iteration of the original one instituted by the First Bishop of the Diocese, Most Rev. Pedro N. Bantigue, D.D.
Divided per fess, the upper or chief dexter is in or beneath a raven volant in sable (black) with a piece of bread perched in its beak. It represents the mysterious raven that regularly brought a half of the bread to feed Saint Paul the First Hermit, the patron of the Diocese, during his sojourn in the desert in Egypt. It is said that when Saint Anthony the Abbot met Saint Paul of Thebes in the wilderness, the famed raven brought a whole piece of bread rather than the regular half. Saint Paul exclaimed: “See how good God is! For sixty years this bird has brought me half a loaf each day; now at your coming, Christ has doubled the provision for His servants.” (Vita S. Pauli Eremitæ, 10). Hence, the raven with bread calls to mind reliance in God as what the Apostle Paul said in his letter to the Philippians, “My God will fully supply whatever you need, in accord with his glorious riches in Christ Jesus” (4:19 NAB).
The bread pertains to the Eucharist, the breaking of the Bread and sharing of the Chalice – the Body and blood of Christ – that unites and nourishes the local church in Laguna. “As it unites us to Christ, tearing us away from our selfishness,” Pope Francis clearly teaches, the Eucharist “opens us and unites us to all those who are one in him” (General Audience, 21 March 2018).
The base dexter is in vert with seven fountains or roundels barry wavy argent (silver/white)and azure (blue) and beneath these, the figure of Laguna de Bay in argent. These fountains point to the sede or seat of the Diocese, San PabloCity, renowned for being the City of Seven Lakes (Lakes Bunot, Kalibato, Palakpakin, Mojicap, Sampaloc and the twin lakes Pandin and Yambo). The seven roundels are charged above the figure of Laguna de Bay, the largest lake in the country, to signify that the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the See of San Pablo covers the entire civil province of Laguna.
St. Paul was born in Egypt and was orphaned at the age of fifteen years old. In the year 250 A.D., the persecution of Emperor Decius began, and this forced St. Paul to hide in the house of his friend and later fled in a cave in a desert. He planned to return to Egypt when the persecution was over but God has His own plan. For the next 90 years, he lived in the cave and was only nourished by the spring for a drink and a palm tree for clothing and nourishment. It was also said that a crow was bringing a piece of bread to him each day. St. Paul on the other hand continued to pray in solitude and practiced asceticism as part of his devotion.
St. Paul the First Hermit was regarded as the first hermit of the Church. He was known to live in the desert of Egypt alone from the age of fifteen to one hundred and twelve years old. His life was known to all Christendom through the book written by St. Jerome entitled The Life of St. Paul the First Hermit.
"It is indeed profitable for you to cast off the burden of the flesh to follow the Lamb, but it is also profitable for the rest of your brethren that they may be the more instructed by your example."
St. Paul the First Hermit
St. Anthony of Egypt met St. Paul in the desert of Egypt when the former thought that he was the first to set in solitude in the desert. The two became friends. The crow began to bring a whole loaf of bread instead of the usual half. St. Anthony predicted that he would be burying his friend. St. Paul died in c. 341 and was buried by St. Anthony himself, wrapping the First Hermit in a cloak given by St. Athanasius. It was believed that St. Anthony was assisted by two lions when he was burying St. Paul.
St. Paul the First Hermit’s feast day is January 15. The Diocese of San Pablo is the only Diocese in the world dedicated to St. Paul the First Hermit.
Get to know more the life of St. Paul by watching the video below:
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