The Vatican has appointed Rev. Msgr. Bartolome Gaspar Santos, Jr. as the new bishop of the Diocese of Iba.  The announcement was made yesterday, February 18, through the Vatican Press.

Msgr. Bart, as he is fondly called, is the rector and parish priest of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima in Valenzuela City since 2009. He is also the moderator of the parish’s pastoral team. Simultaneously, he is the vicar general and moderator of the Curia of the Diocese of Malolos, Bulacan.

He previously served as vicar of San Pascual Baylon Parish in Obando, Bulacan from 1992 to 1994 and of San Isidro Labrador Parish in Pulilan, Bulacan from 1994 to 1995. He was the spiritual director and professor at the Immaculate Conception Minor Seminary of Malolos from 1995 until his departure for Rome in 1996.

The position as Iba’s bishop has been left vacant for almost 4 years since the transfer of Archbishop Florentino Lavarias to the Archdiocese of San Fernando, Pampanga in 2014.

Like Msgr. Bart, another parish priest from the National Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima was previously appointed as Bishop of Iba, Zambales in 1989. Retired Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez Jr. also served as Bishop of Caloocan before his resignation in 2013.