# Roman Catholic Territorial Prelature of Infanta

The Territorial Prelature of Infanta (Latin: Praelatura Territorialis Infantensis) is a Roman Catholic territorial prelature located in the municipality of Infanta, Quezon, in the ecclesiastical province of Lipa in the Philippines.
It was established on April 25, 1950 by the papal bull "Precibus annuentes" taking a portion of the then-Diocese of Lipa. In 1953, some municipalities in the civil province of Isabela was added into it. However, it was taken again by the Diocese of Tuguegarao on August 16, 1955. Originally, the prelature was a suffragan of the Metropolitan See of Manila but was transferred to the Ecclesiastical Province of Lipa on June 20, 1972.
The two main divisions of the prelature is based on the two geographical units that comprises it: the province of Quezon and the province of Aurora. Furthermore, it is governed by the prelate through four vicariates that covers (1) the parishes of Real, Infanta, and Nakar, (2) the parishes of the Polillo Group of Islands, (3) parishes within Central Aurora province, and (4) parishes in the span of Northern Aurora.

## Erection

The prelature was erected by Pius XII on April 25, 1950 carving it from the Diocese of Lipa. Its territory included the islands of Polillo and the northern part of the province of Quezon. At this time, the province of Aurora is a sub-province of Quezon. The boundaries of the prelature was defined to reach the Diocese of Tuguegarao to the north; to the west, Nueva Vizcaya, Nueva Ecija, Bulacan, and Rizal; the Pacific Ocean is the eastern boundary; while the common boundaries of Infanta and Mauban is in the south.
Upon the erection of the See of Infanta, Bishop Rufino Jiao Santos (later Archbishop of Manila and a cardinal) was appointed Apostolic Administrator. A year later, on July 11, 1951, Rev. Fr. Patrick Harmon Shanley, OCD, Vicar Provincial of the Order of Discalced Carmelites in the Philippine Islands, was appointed Apostolic Administrator of the Prelature of Infanta.

## Prelates

The Prelature of Infanta was first administered as a mission of the Order of Discalced Carmelites. Its apostolic administrators and bishops were members of the religious order until 2015. These include Bishop Patrick Shanley, OCD, Fr. Joseph Flanery, OCD, Bishop Julio Xavier Labayen, OCD, and Bishop Rolando Tirona, OCD.
| No. | Name | Office | In office |
| | Most Rev. Rufino Jiao Santos, DD | Apostolic Administrator | September 5, 1950 to July 10, 1951 |
| | Rev. Fr. Patrick Harmon Shanley, OCD | Apostolic Administrator | July 11, 1951 to February 16, 1953 |
| 1. | Most Rev. Patrick Harmon Shanley, OCD, DD† | Prelate | February 17,1953 to September 12, 1960 |
| | Rev. Fr. Joseph Flannery, OCD | Apostolic Administrator | September 12, 1960 to June 22, 1961 |
| | Rev. Fr. Julio Xavier Labayen, OCD | Apostolic Administrator | June 23, 1961 to July 25, 1966 |
| 2. | Most Rev. Julio Xavier Labayen, OCD, DD† | Prelate | July 26,1966 to June 28, 2003 |
| 3. | Most Rev. Rolando Octavus Joven Tria Tirona, OCD, DD | Prelate | June 28, 2003 to September 8, 2012 |
| 4. | Most Rev. Bernardino Cruz Cortez, DD | Prelate | January 23, 2015 to present |

## Parishes

Vicariate of Infant Jesus and Saint Mark
* Divine Infant Jesus of Prague and Saint Mark Parish (Infanta Cathedral), Infanta, Quezon
* Saints Anne and Joachim Parish, General Nakar, Quezon
* Saint Rafael the Archangel Parish, Real, Quezon
* Saint Joseph Quasi-Parish, Barangay Llavac, Real, Quezon
Vicariate of Saint Joseph
* Prelature Shrine of Saint Joseph, Polillo, Quezon
* Saint Rafael Parish, Burdeos, Quezon
* Saint John the Baptist Parish, Panukulan, Quezon
* Saint Isidore Parish, Patnanungan, Quezon
* Nuestra Señora dela Salvacion Parish, Jomalig, Quezon
Vicariate of San Luis Obispo
* San Luis Obispo Parish, Baler, Aurora
* San Luis Rey Parish, San Luis, Aurora
* Saint Vincent Ferrer Parish, Maria Aurora, Aurora
* Maria, Ina ng Sambayanan ng mga Dukha Parish, Quirino, Maria Aurora
* Saint Therese of the Infant Jesus Parish, Dipaculao, Aurora
* Saint Patrick Parish, Dingalan, Aurora
Vicariate of Saint Anthony of Padua
* Saint Anthony de Padua Parish, Casiguran, Aurora
* Saint Isidore the Farmer Parish, Dinalungan, Aurora
* Saint Joseph the Worker Parish, Dilasag, Aurora
* Nuestra Señora dela Salvacion Parish, Casiguran, Aurora