Pope Francis appoints Fr. Romeo D. Convocar as Bishop of Chalan Kanoa

Pope Francis appoints Reverend Fr. Romeo Duetao Convocar as the new Bishop of the Diocese of Chalan Kanoa in the Northern Mariana Islands.

Bishop-elect Convocar is the former Apostolic Administrator and currently the Vicar-General of the Archdiocese of Agana.

The appointment was officially published on Monday from Rome.

The appointment was also personally announced in Chalan Kanoa by His Eminence, Luis Antonio Gokim Cardinal Tagle, the Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, who is currently in Saipan for the celebration of the Diocese of Chalan Kanoa's 40th Anniversary of Canonical Establishment. 

Bishop-elect Convocar served as the Parish Administrator of St. Joseph Church in Inalahan, Pastor of San Isidro in Malojloj, and Rector of Agana Cathedral-Basilica.

Currently, he is the Administrator of Blessed Diego Luis de San Vitores Parish in Tumon.

Bishop-elect Convocar was also a formator of seminarians of the archdiocese before the closure of the seminaries in Guam. He served as the Vicar-General to former Agana Archbishop Most Rev. Michael Jude Byrnes until his resignation on March 28, 2023, due to health reasons.

At the time of Archbishop Byrnes' resignation, Pope Francis named him as the Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese of Agana, the office that he served for more than a year.

Since Aug. 15, the Very Reverend Father Charlie Borja has served as the Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Chalan Kanoa following the appointment of Archbishop Ryan Pagente Jimenez as the Metropolitan Archbishop of Agana.

The Bishop-elect's Episcopal Consecration will be announced at a later date.