FR. PAUL Reagan Talavera, O.P. of the UST Santisimo Rosario Parish has ended his six-year term as parish priest and is set to move to Gibraltar for a new Dominican mission station.
Talavera, who is 15th UST parish priest, voluntarily joined the Gibraltar mission with Fr. Marcelino Saria, O.P., former UST Central Seminary pastoral director.
The predominantly Catholic Gibraltar is a British overseas territory seized by English and Dutch forces from Spain in 1704. It gave the British control over the Strait of Gibraltar, the only natural passage between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.
Talavera’s successor has yet to be appointed by the Archdiocese of Manila.
Talavera served for two consecutive terms beginning June 2019 and August 2022, appointed by Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, who was then archbishop of the Manila see.
He succeeded Fr. Louie Coronel, O.P., who is now UST secretary general.
Talavera finished his bachelor’s degree in theology at UST in 2007 and his master’s degree at De La Salle University in 2011.
He was ordained priest on Aug. 6, 2011.
Talavera is formerly the regional treasurer of the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines.
He was also principal and prefect of discipline of the Angelicum School in Iloilo City and secretary of the Association of Religious Men in the Archdiocese of Jaro.
The Santisimo Rosario Church, which serves as the University chapel, was declared a parish on March 21, 1942 by decree of Manila Archbishop Michael O’Doherty.