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Diocese of Imus Dioecesis Imusensis Diyosesis ng Imus Diócesis de Imus | |
|---|---|
| Catholic | |
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 Coat of arms | |
| Location | |
| Country | Philippines |
| Territory | Cavite |
| Ecclesiastical province | Manila |
| Metropolitan | Manila |
| Statistics | |
| Area | 1,427.06 km2 (550.99 sq mi) |
| Population - Total - Catholics | (as of 2021) 4,054,000 3,239,000[1] (79.9%) |
| Parishes | 90 (as of 11 Dec 2023) |
| Schools | 43 |
| Information | |
| Denomination | Catholic |
| Sui iuris church | Latin Church |
| Rite | Roman Rite |
| Established | November 25, 1961[2] |
| Cathedral | Diocesan Shrine and Parish of Our Lady of the Pillar - Imus Cathedral |
| Patron saint | Our Lady of the Pillar |
| Secular priests | 190+ |
| Current leadership | |
| Pope | Francis |
| Bishop | Reynaldo Gonda Evangelista |
| Metropolitan Archbishop | Jose Lazaro Fuerte Advincula Jr. |
| Vicar General | Reuel Castañeda |
| Bishops emeritus | Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle (2001-2011) |
| Website | |
| The Roman Catholic Diocese of Imus | |
TheDiocese of Imus (Latin:Dioecesis Imusensis;Tagalog:Diyosesis ng Imus;Spanish andChavacano:Diócesis de Imus) is aRoman Catholicdiocese in thePhilippines that comprises the entire province ofCavite. By the virtue of the apostolic constitutionChristi Fidelium,[2] promulgated byPope John XXIII, the diocese was canonically erected on November 25, 1961, when it was excised from theArchdiocese of Manila (the territory of the civil province of Cavite, excluding Tagaytay) and the then-diocese, nowArchdiocese of Lipa (the territory of the City of Tagaytay).[3] The diocese was formally inaugurated on April 26, 1962 and its first bishop, Artemio Gabriel Casas, took canonical possession of its administration.[4]Imus Cathedral, located along General Castañeda Street in thepoblacion ofImus, serves as thesee of the diocese. It is one of twelve cathedrals founded by theOrder of Augustinian Recollects in the Philippines.
The diocese is home to around 3,239,000 Roman Catholics spread across four episcopal districts, 13vicariates, 90parishes, a national shrine (Our Lady of La Salette), and eight were declared as diocesan shrines. There are 184 priests in the diocese, 95 of which are diocesan and 89 are religious.
In 2011, the Diocese of Imus celebrated the Golden Jubilee of its establishment. Activities were held within the diocese to mark the momentous event. Prior to the occasion, the celebration of the 5thAsian Youth Day in 2009 was also held in the diocese.
The diocese is under the patronage of the Virgin Mary under the titleOur Lady of the Pillar, whose feast day is celebrated on October 12. The image of Our Lady was canonically crowned by CardinalLuis Antonio G. Tagle, thenArchbishop of Manila and homegrownBishop of Imus, in a solemn ceremony held in 2012.
Through the zeal of the first missionaries of spreading the Catholic faith, they also helped in founding most of the towns ofCaviteprovince. Among thereligious orders that Christianized the Caviteños were theFranciscans, theRecollects, theDominicans and theJesuits. They established their first center of faith in Cavite Puerto (nowCavite City). The Catholic faith first came to Imus in 1571, then inSilang in 1581, in Cavite Viejo (nowKawit) in 1587, inMaragondon in 1611,Indang in 1655,Ternate in 1700 and in San Francisco de Malabon (nowGeneral Trias) in 1758. As early as 1614, Cavite became a politico-military province.[5]
The province of Cavite is rich with historical significance. It had been the site of many battles and uprisings againstSpain, one of which was that of 1872, which resulted in the execution of three priests: Gomez, Burgos and Zamora (Gomburza). Cavite is also where GeneralEmilio Aguinaldo proclaimed thePhilippine Independence from Spanish rule on June 12, 1898, in the town of Kawit.[5]
The province is named after its shape, that of a hook – hence Kawit, meaning hook, inTagalog. It is geographically situated at the very entrance toManila Bay, a location which has made it, along with Bataan on the north, the scene of many battles in the past. It is bounded on the northwest by the Bay, on the northeast by the provinces ofRizal andLaguna, on the southwest by the province ofBatangas. Its capital city isImus, with the seat of the provincial government located inTrece Martires.[5]
Early in theAmerican regime, a U.S. naval garrison was stationed atSangley Point inCavite City after a civil government was established in 1901. Because of mutual defense agreements, this base remained in Cavite long after the country was granted itsindependence in 1946.[5]
Thetopography of the province is gentle upward sloping towards the south, peaking in Tagaytay Ridge and Mts. Palay-Palay - Mataas-na-Gulod Range, at the border withBatangas province. Areas near the coast are flat whererice is an important crop. Fishing is another major industry in the coastal towns. The language spoken isTagalog, which is the basis forFilipino, the national language of the country. More than 60 per cent of the inhabitants live inurbanized areas because of its proximity toManila. Today, Cavite is witnessing a more radical urbanization as factories, subdivisions, golf courses, resorts and anExport Processing Zone (EPZA) have sprung up in the province.Tagaytay, with its cool climate and a scenic view ofTaal Lake andTaal Volcano, draws many tourists each year.[5]
For many centuries Cavite was under the direct control of theArchdiocese of Manila. The Diocese of Imus was created on November 25, 1961 separating Cavite from the main archdiocese. Thus, the diocese serves as suffragan to that of Manila with its own leadership. It comprises the civil province of Cavite and covers a land area of 1,287 km2 (497 sq mi), with a population of 1,643,549 of which 76 per cent are Catholics.
On April 8, 2013, Reynaldo Gonda Evangelista was appointed byPope Francis as the fifth bishop of Imus.[6] He is the first appointee of Pope Francis on theCatholic hierarchy of the Philippines.[7] He was installed last June 5, 2013.
The list of the assigned bishops of the diocese since its establishment is as follows:
| No. | Coat of Arms | Name(Tenure) | From[a] | Until[b] | Post-incumbency Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Artemio Gabriel Casas (6 years, 268 days) | December 11, 1961[8] | September 4, 1968[9] | Appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Archdiocese of Manila[c] |
| 2 |  | Félix Paz Pérez (23 years, 4 days) | February 25, 1969[10] | February 29, 1992[11] | Died in office |
| 3 |  | Manuel Cruz Sobreviñas (8 years, 239 days) | February 25, 1993[12] | October 22, 2001[13] | Resigned from office |
| 4 |  | Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle (9 years, 356 days) | October 22, 2001[14] | October 13, 2011[15] | Appointed Metropolitan Archbishop of Archdiocese of Manila |
| 5 |  | Reynaldo Gonda Evangelista (11 years, 346 days) | April 8, 2013[6] | Incumbent | Present local ordinary |
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14°25′46″N120°56′10″E / 14.4295°N 120.9361°E /14.4295; 120.9361
