OCEANIA/PAPUA NEW GUINEA - Appointment of Bishop of Alotau-Sideia

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – The Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI, on 6 April 2011, appointed as Bishop of the Diocese of Alotau-Sideia (Papua New Guinea), Fr Rolando Santos, C.M., Provincial Superior of the Lazarist Fathers, Philippines. The bishop-elect was born in Rizal, Philippines, on 21 March 1949. After completing his elementary studies, he entered St Vincent's Minor Seminary of the Lazarist Fathers in Valenzuela, Bulacan, Philippines. In 1966 he entered the Congregation for Missions and spent two years as a novitiate in the Vicentian Hills, Angono, Rizal. He completed his philosophical and theological studies at St Mary Immaculate Seminary in Northampton, Pennsylvania, United States. On 18 June 1971, he made his solemn vows in the Congregation for Missions. He was ordained a priest on 1 June 1974. After his ordination, he held the following ministries in the Philippines: 1974-1975: Formator in St Vincent Ferrer Seminary in Jaro, Iloilo City; 1975-1981: assistant parish priest and pastor of Calumpang, Iloilo City; 1981-1983: Teacher for Novices in the Vincentian Hills Seminary, Angono, Rizal; 1983-1984: Member of the Mission Team for the province; 1984-1987: Rector of St Vincent Seminary in Tandang Sora, Queson City; 1987-2001: Director of the Daughters of Charity in the Philippines, assistant parish priest of the National Shrine of the Miraculous Medal in Muntinglupa City, Rizal, and Superior of the Lazarist community at the Sanctuary; 2001-2008: Posted to Papua New Guinea as Spiritual Director and Treasurer for the Holy Spirit Seminary in Bomana, in the Archdiocese of Port Moresby; 2008-2009: Secretary General of the Episcopal Conference of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands. Since 2009, he has been the Provincial Superior of the Congregation for Missions in the Philippines and on missions in Papua New Guinea and in the Solomon Islands.
The Diocese of Alotau-Sideia, created in 1975, is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Port Moresby, (area 20,000, population 245,000, Catholics 41,137, priests 23, religious 43, seminarians 9). (SL) (Agenzia Fides 6/04/2011)