The Archdiocese of Jaro in Iloilo will formally install its 14th archbishop, Midyphill Billones, on April 2 during a Mass at the Jaro Metropolitan Cathedral.

Billones, who has served as auxiliary bishop of Cebu since 2019, will succeed Archbishop Jose Lazo, who retired at 76. Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Lazo on Feb. 2 and appointed Billones as successor.

A day before Billiones’ installation, the archdiocese will also celebrate Lazo’s 50th anniversary of priestly ordination with a Mass at the cathedral.

Ordained as a priest for the Diocese of San Jose de Antique in 1975, Lazo became bishop of Kalibo in 2003 before transferring to Jaro in 2018.PNA