More than 30 bishops from all over the country will grace the Solemn Episcopal Ordination of Most Rev. Gilbert A. Garcera, D.D. on June 29, 2007. This was confirmed by Fr. Rex Andrew Alarcon, Executive Secretary of the Executive Committee.
Bishop Garcera will be ordained as the new bishop of the Diocese of Daet, the land of gold and pineapple. The said momentous event will be held at the Basilica Minore of Our Lady of Peñafrancia at 4:00 pm. Archbishop Leonardo Z. Legaspi, O.P., D.D., of the Archdiocese of Caceres is the main celebrant while Bishop Benjamin Almoneda, D.D. (Bishop-Emeritus of Daet) and Archbishop Orlando Quevedo, O.M.I.,D.D. (of the Archdiocese of Cotabato) will be the consecrators.
Bishop Garcera who hails from Magarao, Camarines Sur will be the third bishop of Daet since it was formally established on September 1, 1974 with Most Rev. Celestino Rojo Enverga, D.D., a native of Jose Panganiban as the first bishop. The new bishop succeeds the now retired Bishop Benjamin Almoneda, D.D. who served the diocese for 16 years (1991-2007).
Bishop Garcera is currently the national director of the Pontifical Missionary Societies (PMS), Manila; the Executive Secretary of the Episcopal Commission on Mission; and a member of the Superior Council, Pont. Missionary Societies, Rome and Asian Representative, Restricted Council Pontifical Missionary Societies, Rome and a member of PMS Supreme Committee Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, Rome.
After being ordained in 1983 his first assignment was to be an Asst. Parish Priest of the Naga Metropolitan Cathedral (May 29, 1983-1991); Archdiocesan Director, Caceres Catechetical Ministry (Dec. 17, 1987-1995); Vice –Rector, Peñafrancia Basilica Minore (April 2, 1991-1992); Administrative Dir./Personnel Officer, Radio Veritas Asia (Jan. 1, 1995-2001); Rector, San Francisco Church, Naga City (Dec. 1,1997-1998); Parish Priest, Parish of San Francisco, Naga City ( Feb. 20, 1998-2001); Asst. Secretary General/ Asst. Treasurer, Catholic Bishops Council Philippines (CBCP)(Sept. 11, 2001-2003)and Managing Editor, CBCP Monitor (Jan. 2002-2003).
Msgr. Garcera spent his grade school years at the Naga Parochial School and entered Holy Rosary Minor and Major Seminaries to undergo his priestly trainings. He holds a masters degree on Theological Studies at the Ateneo de Manila University and a doctorate on Organization Development in the SAIDI Southeast Asia Interdisciplinary Development Institute.
The new bishop will formally be installed as shepherd of the local Church of Camarines Norte, at Daet on June 30.
The 48 year old Bishop Garcera will lead the 72 Diocesan Priests in 30 parishes of Camarines Norte. The province has a total population of 518,497 of which 90.69% or 470,225 are Catholic.
In the Coat of Arms of the new bishop is his motto “AD OMNIA MITTAM TE”, inspired by Jeremiah 1:17 which literally means “to wherever I will send, you will be going.”
Most Rev. Msgr. Garcera was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI, his appointment was published in Rome on April 4, 2007.