Saturday, March 11, 2006

Letter to Cagayan de Oro and Ipil

PRELATURE OF IPIL
Bishop’s Residence
P.O. Box 7283
7001 Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay
Philippines

8 March 2006


To the people of God in Cagayan de Oro Archdiocese and Ipil Prelature,


Thank you for your felicitations on my appointment by the Holy Father as the Archbishop of Cagayan de Oro.

While acknowledging my limitations, I humbly accept this assignment. I realize that this will be a bigger responsibility than my present assignment as Bishop of the Prelature of Ipil.

Over the past 9½ years, I have come to know, respect and love the clergy, religious and lay leaders and workers of this prelature. It is with a heavy heart that I shall be leaving them in a few months’ time.

On the other hand, coming to Cagayan de Oro by the end of May will not be strange to me since this has been my earlier home for 16 years.

Hence, I shall strive to be available to all the Christian communities in the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro. This will be my new home, my local church, and the reference point for any activity that may involve my time and energy for the Church in the rest of Mindanao and the Philippines.

May Our Lord Jesus Christ and His Blessed Mother accompany all of us in this new leg of the journey towards his Kingdom. And may I humbly ask for your prayers and collaboration.


In Our Lord,

+ Antonio J. Ledesma, S.J.
Bishop, Prelature of Ipil