UST THEOLOGY alumnus Fr. Ronald Anthony Timoner was consecrated as bishop and installed as the new shepherd of the Diocese of Pagadian at Sto. Niño Cathedral in Zamboanga del Sur, on Wednesday, Aug. 13.
In a four-hour ceremony, Timoner was ordained to the episcopate by Ozamiz Archbishop Martin Jumoad, who served as apostolic administrator of Pagadian during its sede vacante period.
Archbishop Rex Andrew Alarcon of Caceres and Lipa Archbishop Gilbert Garcera, incoming president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, served as co-consecrators. Both were former bishops of Daet, Camarines Norte, Timoner’s home diocese.
In his homily, the apostolic nuncio, Archbishop Charles John Brown, emphasized the power of prayer for bishops, and the example of Jesus in servant leadership.
“How does a bishop lead? By focusing his eyes on Jesus,” Brown said.
“Jesus is the image, the model of what it means to be bishop, Jesus who leads by invitation, by example, by his sacrifice. That is servant leadership,” he said.
Timoner is the sixth bishop of Pagadian. He succeeded Bishop Ronald Lunas, who died in January 2024 due to complications from a heart bypass surgery.
Before being appointed by Pope Francis to the episcopate on April 2, Timoner had been serving as Daet’s diocesan administrator.
The Daet native was born on Aug. 13, 1971, and studied philosophy at the Holy Rosary Minor Seminary in Naga City.
In 1995, he obtained his sacred theology degree in UST.
He earned a licentiate in theology from the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome.
He was ordained to the priesthood on May 1, 1997 for the Diocese of Daet.
The new bishop is the younger brother of Fr. Gerard Francisco Timoner III, the first Asian and Filipino master general of the Order of Preachers or the Dominicans, and the UST grand chancellor. A.G.C. Mansineros
