Pope appoints new bishop in the Philippine Diocese of Sorsogon

Pope Francis on Tuesday appointed a new bishop to the Philippine Diocese of Sorsogon in the Philippines.  He is Father Jose Alan V. Dialogo, the director of the Cardinal Sin Welcome Home for retired priests of Manila Archdiocese. 

Father Dialogo takes over from Bishop Arturo M. Bastes, S.V.D., who has stepped down, having reached the retirement age of 75 for bishops in the Catholic Church. 

Bishop-designate Dialogo of Sorsogon was born in Lagonoy, Camarines Norte, in the Diocese of Daet, on 10 July 1962. After his high school studies, he obtained a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of New Caceres and subsequently attended courses in philosophy and theology at the Holy Apostles Senior Seminary. In 1999 he was awarded a licentiate in spirituality by the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.

After his priestly ordination on 31 July 1996 for the Archdiocese of Manila, he served in the following capacities:

1996-1997: Parish priest at San Roque’s Church in Mandaluyong

1999-2002: Vice-rector and dean of seminarians at the Seminary of the Holy Apostles for adult vocations in Guadalupe, Makati City

2003-2008: Rector of the same seminary

2008-2015:  Parish priest of Saint John of the Cross Church in Pembo, Makati City

Since 2015: Director of the Cardinal Sin Welcome Home in Manila.