# Roman Catholic Diocese of Baguio

The Diocese of Baguio (Latin: Dioecesis Baghiopolitana) is a Latin Church suffragan diocese of the Catholic Church in the Philippines comprising the city of Baguio and the province of Benguet on Luzon island in the Philippines. Its see is the Our Lady of Atonement Cathedral in Baguio, Benguet, Cordillera Administrative Region.
It was first established in 1952 as the Apostolic Prefecture of Mountain Province, later elevated to an apostolic vicariate in 1948. It was later renamed as the Apostolic Vicariate of Baguio in 1992, and was elevated to a diocese in 2004 as a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia. It is currently headed by the Most Rev. Rafael T. Cruz, the third Bishop of Baguio, succeeding Victor Barnuevo Bendico, who was appointed Archbishop of Capiz.

## History

The diocese is one of the oldest ecclesiastical territories in the Philippines. It was established as the Apostolic Prefecture of Mountain Province (Latin: Praefectura Apostolica Montana) on July 15, 1932. The territory that the Diocese of Baguio now spans was split from the bishopric of Nueva Segovia.
On June 10, 1948, the apostolic prefecture was elevated to the Apostolic Vicariate of Mountain Province (Montañosa), entitling it to a titular bishop. The vicariate received a papal visit from John Paul II in February 1981.
In 1992, the vicariate was renamed the Apostolic Vicariate of Baguio, after ceding territories to form the Apostolic Vicariate of Bontoc-Lagawe and the Apostolic Vicariate of Tabuk.
On June 24, 2004, the vicariate was elevated into the Diocese of Baguio, losing its missionary pre-diocesan status and becoming a suffragan of its mother Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia.
On June 20, 2024, Rafael Tambao-An Cruz was announced as the next bishop, replacing then Bishop Victor Barnuevo Bendico, who was elevated as Archbishop of Capiz in May 2023. He was ordained on September 7 at Dagupan Cathedral by Archbishop Socrates Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan as principal consecrator, with Archbishop Victor Barnuevo Bendico of Capiz and Bishop Jesse Mercado of Parañaque as co-consecrators. His installation took place on September 17, 2024, led by Archbishop Charles John Brown and Jose Cardinal Advincula of Manila at Baguio Cathedral.

## Ordinaries and auxiliary episcopate

These ordinaries are all Latin Rite clergy, who are mostly members of missionary congregations.

### Apostolic Prefect of Mountain Province

| No. | Name | From | Until |
| 1 | Giuseppe Billiet | 15 Nov 1935 | 1947 |

### Apostolic Vicar of Mountain Province (Montañosa)

| No. | Name | From | Until |
| 1 | William Brasseur | 10 Jun 1948 | 7 Nov 1981 |
| 2 | Emiliano Kulhi Madangeng | 7 Nov 1981 | 18 Dec 1987 |
| 3 | Ernesto Antolin Salgado | 18 Dec 1987 | 6 July Dec 1992 |

### Apostolic Vicars

| No. | Picture | Name | From | Until | Coat of arms |
| 1 | | Ernesto Antolin Salgado | 6 July Dec 1992 | 7 Dec 2000 | |
| 2 | | Carlito Joaquin Cenzon | 25 Jan 2002 | 10 Jul 2004 | |

### Bishops

| No. | Name | From | Until |
| 1 | Carlito Joaquin Cenzon | 10 Jul 2004 | 1 Oct 2016 |
| 2 | Victor Barnuevo Bendico | 10 Jan 2017 | 3 May 2023 |
| 3 | Rafael Tambao-an Cruz | 17 Sept 2024 | incumbent |

#### Auxiliary Bishops

| No. | Picture | Name | From | Until | Coat of arms |
| 1 | | Sebastian Acol Dalis | 18 Nov 1987 | 11 Jul 2000 | |